Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta

This creamy cottage cheese pasta has a lot of protein, little sugar, and no gluten. This pasta meal includes a terrific mix of protein, high-fiber carbs, and healthy fats that will keep you full longer and satisfy your cravings. The creaminess, cheesiness, and savory flavor of this spaghetti make it the best pasta dish to add to your weekly dinner rotation.

I adore pasta because it’s so versatile and can be eaten all year long, no matter what the weather is like. It’s not a seasonal dish! I want a cold pasta salad with fresh veggies and light flavors throughout the spring and summer. I want more traditional, hearty, and warm pasta recipes in the fall and winter. You can change the tastes to meet any mood, and right now, I’m really into this Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta 🤩It takes less than twenty minutes to cook, has fewer than five ingredients, and has a lot more protein than a regular pasta dish.

It’s no secret that I’ve become a big fan of incorporating cottage cheese in both sweet and savory dishes to add protein without changing the texture or taste. If anything, it makes both of these even better! The taste is mostly hidden, so it’s easy to add to any meal for a quick protein boost. This creamy pasta is my new favorite, but some of my other savory recipes that use cottage cheese are my High Protein Cottage Cheese Queso, Cottage Cheese Lasagna Bowl, and Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust. If you haven’t already, you have to try all of them! I swear that even the pickiest diners will enjoy these recipes and eat them all. They don’t even have to know what the major component is. 😉

This spaghetti meal is a great choice for a quick, healthy lunch or dinner on a weeknight. It makes a lot of servings, so you can share or bag up the leftovers and put them in the fridge to eat the next day. When you’re ready to eat, either heat it up on the stove or eat it cold (I do both)!

Ingredients

Yields: 2-3 Servings
Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes

8 oz Pasta of choice (Lentil pasta recommended for added protein/fiber)
1 cup Full-fat Cottage Cheese (Recommended brands: Good Culture or Kalona Super Natural)
1 cup Marinara Sauce (Regular or spicy)
1 clove Fresh Garlic (or 1 tsp chopped)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (Optional)
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Pasta Water (reserved from cooking)

Recommended Toppings

Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Basil or Spinach

Ingredient Notes

Pasta of choice – You can use gluten free or ordinary pasta. I love using lentil pasta for extra protein and fiber in this dinner! Other fantastic gluten free options are brown rice pasta and cassava spaghetti.
Cottage cheese – I choose the full-fat one from Good Culture or Kalona Super Natural. I would suggest full-fat will offer the best effects!
Marinara – I used regular marinara sauce but if you want this to be a little spicy, you can use a hot marinara.
Garlic – A full clove or chopped. You can also add any more spices you’d like.
Toppings of choice – Some excellent options I’ve tried are parmesan, red pepper flakes, spinach, chicken meatballs, hot honey, and grilled chicken!

Cooking Instructions

Cook your pasta of choice according to the box and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside while you cook the sauce.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, add cottage cheese, marinara, garlic, and any additional spices you’d like (fresh basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, etc.) and mix until smooth.

After combining, add the pasta water to the sauce and stir well.
Pour the sauce over the cooked and drained pasta and mix until well covered.
Top with parmesan and red pepper flakes, enjoy! (Tip: Other times I’ve cooked this I’ve tossed in some spinach, Organic chicken meatballs, and a drizzle of hot honey! You can mix up the toppings depending on what you have on hand and what sounds delicious.)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sneaky high protein – Because this sauce is so creamy and the cottage cheese lends a lovely cheesy flavor, you can trick any picky eater into not only eating this, but LOVING it. It’s a terrific way to get extra protein in without even thinking about it too.
Quick and satisfying –This takes little time to make! Just prepare the pasta according to the box, blend the sauce, combine, and enjoy.
Balanced meal: Most pasta recipes have a lot of carbs and aren’t usually the most filling. Even if you’re satisfied after a plate or bowl, you could still want something sweet or something else. That’s usually due of a rise in blood sugar from eating too many carbs without enough fiber, fat, and protein! The pasta and marinara in this recipe are strong in fiber, while the cottage cheese adds healthful fats and protein. You can easily add chicken meatballs, ground turkey, or lentil spaghetti to make it more protein-rich!
Dietary friendly – This is gluten free, high protein, low sugar, and can be made with regular spaghetti too.