It’s no secret I love cottage cheese. From muffins to eggs, and even pancakes, what can’t cottage cheese do?! Today we are sharing this easy and delicious cottage cheese pasta!
It’s packed with protein and veggies but the star of the show, per usual in most of my recipes, is the sauce! Made with your favorite marinara sauce and cottage cheese for the perfect thick and creamy consistency.
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This pasta dish does have a few moving parts, but it is super easy to throw together and makes an easy weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes. Plus it’s a total crowd-pleaser that adults and kids alike will love. One serving packs 37 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber! The leftovers are great for lunch the next day or you can make it at the beginning of the week for meal prep.
Why we love this cottage cheese pasta recipe
- ready in 30 minutes from start to finish!
- super creamy sauce thanks to cottage cheese – the star of the show is the sauce as the cottage cheese brings it to the next level. It reminds me of a cream sauce but without all the heavy cream!
- macro-balanced meal – there is protein from the turkey and pasta and cottage cheese, carbohydrates from the pasta, healthy fats from the oil and turkey, and fiber from the veggies and pasta.
- super comforting and cozy and a dish the whole family will love!
Is cottage cheese healthy?
Cottage cheese is known for being a high-protein food while still being relatively low in calories. It also contains vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium. Cottage cheese can be a great addition if you are trying to add more protein to your diet.
What does cottage cheese taste like?
Cottage cheese is a dairy product made from cheese curds. It has a mild flavor and creamy texture, along with some chunkiness from the curds. It comes in different fat percentages (nonfat, reduced fat, or whole milk) and also different curd sizes (usually small or large), which will affect the taste and consistency.
Ingredients
- pasta – we are using rigatoni as I find it holds the sauce well, but a similar shape will work.
- olive oil
- onion
- fresh garlic
- ground turkey
- red bell pepper
- spinach
- dried basil
- red pepper flakes – for a little spice.
- pasta sauce – your favorite kind of tomato sauce will work.
- cottage cheese – to make our creamy sauce!
- salt and pepper
How to make cottage cheese pasta
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain. When draining, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Brown your meat. When the water is about to boil, you’ll start cooking everything else. It takes about 15 minutes to cook everything else, so start cooking according to how long it takes your pasta to cook. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat, add oil, and let it get hot. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Then add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon or meat chopper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add bell peppers, dried basil, and red pepper flakes, stir to combine, and saute for 4-5 minutes. Finally, add chopped spinach, stir to combine, and saute for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
- Make the sauce. While the meat and veggies are cooking, make your pasta sauce. Add marinara sauce and cottage cheese to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Drain pasta, saving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Assemble. Add cooked pasta, cottage cheese pasta sauce, and 2 tablespoons of pasta water (or more if desired) and stir to combine. Let warm through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy! Top with toppings of choice and enjoy!
Pasta sauce with cottage cheese
Pasta is not pasta without a good sauce! It can totally make or break a dish. We are taking your classic pasta sauce and taking it up a notch and making it oh-so creamy. And the kick is, you only need two ingredients.
Cottage cheese pasta sauce ingredients:
- favorite marinara sauce
- cottage cheese
Simply add your favorite pasta sauce and cottage cheese to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Once tossing with your pasta, you can adjust the amount of pasta water to make it more or less thick.
By using cottage cheese, it’s an easy and delicious way to enjoy a creamy sauce while adding more protein but without all the fat!
What to serve with cottage cheese pasta
While I find this pasta a complete meal, here are a few suggestions to serve with it.
- green salad
- roasted or sauteed veggies
- garlic bread or breadsticks – to soak up all that sauce!
Storage and reheating
- refrigerator – allow the pasta to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- freezer – freeze in a large container or individual servings. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge or on the countertop. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid so you might need to add more sauce when you defrost and reheat it.
- reheating – either reheat it by popping it in the microwave for a few minutes or you can reheat it in a pot on the stove.
Substitutions
- olive oil – any neutral oil will work.
- garlic – garlic powder will work instead. Use 1/2 teaspoon and add it when you add the other spices.
- ground turkey – ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or Italian sausage will work instead. This will change the nutrition breakdown though.
- vegetables – feel free to change up the ratios of the veggies if you like. You can add more if you like too. Zucchini and mushrooms would be good additions.
- red pepper flakes – leave out if you don’t like any spice.
- pasta – I used rigatoni but a similar pasta shape (penne, fusilli…) should work. Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- pasta sauce – any kind will work.
- cottage cheese – low-fat or full-fat cottage cheese will work.
More healthy pasta recipes
- one pot ground turkey pasta
- creamy chicken sausage pasta
- cheesy taco pasta
- chicken parmesan pasta
- goat cheese pasta with chicken and veggies
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Cottage Cheese Pasta
equipment
ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion (120 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey (I used 93/7)
- 2 cups diced red bell pepper (220 grams)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less for less spicy)
- 3 packed cups spinach, chopped (90 grams)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for topping – fresh basil, grated parmesan cheese…
Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
- 2 cups pasta sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat)
instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain. When draining, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Prep your veggies while the pasta water heats up.
- Brown your meat. When the water is about to boil, you’ll start cooking everything else. It takes about 15 minutes to cook everything else, so start cooking according to how long it takes your pasta to cook. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat, add oil, and let it get hot. Add onions, salt, and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Then add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon or meat chopper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add bell peppers, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, stir to combine, and saute for 4-5 minutes. Finally, add chopped spinach, stir to combine, and saute for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
- Make the sauce. While the meat and veggies are cooking, make your pasta sauce. Add marinara sauce and cottage cheese to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Drain pasta, saving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Assemble. Add cooked pasta, cottage cheese pasta sauce, and 2 tablespoons of pasta water (or more if desired) and stir to combine. Let warm through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy! Top with toppings of choice and enjoy!
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nutrition
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This was so freaking good! It was very easy to put together also! It was very tasty! You can definitely add a bit more salt and the red pepper for a bit of kick but this recipe is perfect I will definitely be making it again! It almost tastes like restaurant food!
So glad you enjoy it so much, Beverly! Thanks for trying it!
Surprisingly delicious! I used ground venison because that is what I had on hand. Also added mushrooms. Definitely will be making this again!
That sounds good! Thanks for trying it, Laura!
I made this pasta last night with some of my homemade marinara I already had on hand. It was delicious. And reheats really well the next day. No separation of liquids like some cream based sauces do. Will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Christina! I bet it was so good with homemade marinara too!
Tasty. My sauce blended up nicely but separated when I added it. Disappointing visual.
Sorry to hear that! That hasn’t happened to me before so not sure what the issue would be. Glad it was still tasty though.
Easy and delicious. I used Italian sausage meat and added celery and mushrooms. Sprinkled a little feta on top when serving, and that was nice, too. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yum, that sounds so good! Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for trying it!
I didn’t see marinara sauce listed. Am I missing it? How much do we use?
Hi, June! It’s 2 cups – the full recipe is in the recipe card and the sauce is under ‘cottage cheese pasta sauce’ along with the amount of cottage cheese. Hope that helps!
Let me start by saying I have never left a comment on a recipe I stumbled across on the internet… but oh my, this recipe was AMAZING! Say goodbye to boring ole’ chicken and rice! So delicious and so macro friendly. I will certainly be back for more recipes!! And will be using this one again 🙂 Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much, Shaina! Thanks for trying it!
SO good! I’m pregnant and have been trying to find higher protein recipes that still take like comfort food since “healthy” foods aren’t too appealing. This was absolutely delicious, and fresh basil on top really made it!
So glad to hear that, Erin! It really does help bump up the protein too. Thanks for trying it!