Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
Updated Apr 28, 2025
This easy high-protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce only requires 5 ingredients, a high-speed blender and it's ready for your favorite pasta!
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Make Pasta Sauce with Cottage Cheese
Did you know you can cottage cheese pasta sauce that’s creamy and delicious without any signs of using cottage cheese? It just takes a blender to blend the cottage cheese with the other sauce ingredients and the result is a silky sauce that’s so easy and so good!
And the best part is that even though pasta sauces aren’t usually a go-to for protein, each serving of this cottage cheese tomato pasta has about 17 grams of protein! If you like this one, make sure to try my Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta as well!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce Ingredients
- Cottage cheese: Use whole milk cottage cheese because it has less water so the sauce comes out more creamy and smooth. You can use lower-fat cottage cheese, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
- Marinara sauce: Any marinara sauce will work, whether homemade or store-bought.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan for a sharp, nutty taste that blends well into your cottage cheese pasta sauce.
- Butter: This helps to create a smooth and creamy consistency for your sauce but you can also use olive oil.
- Red pepper flakes: For flavor. Add more for a little extra heat.
- Pasta: I use fusilli pasta, but any pasta will work!
Popular Additions
- Add veggies. Just like most pasta dishes, adding more vegetables can really bulk up your meal! Try adding sauteed spinach, roasted zucchini, pan seared mushrooms, or any other veggies you like to your pasta.
- Add protein! If you’re looking to make this a more complete meal and want to include a main ingredient, try adding baked tofu, chickpeas, or white beans for a vegetarian option. You can also add in ground beef, chicken, or turkey.
- Add more cheese: The cottage cheese pasta sauce is made with cottage cheese and parmesan only, but you could also experiment with adding some ricotta for a slightly different flavor. Or add in some cream cheese for an extra level of creaminess.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip adding the pasta water to your sauce. The starchy water can help thin your sauce if it gets too thick, and it can also help the sauce stick better to the pasta.
- Choose your pasta wisely. Fusilli is great in this recipe because its twists and turns hold onto the creamy sauce well, but other textured short-cut pasta like farfalle, penne, or rigatoni would work well too.
- Use any blending equipment you have. I use my favorite high-speed blender to blend my cottage cheese sauce, but you could also use a food processor or immersion blender.
- Have your pasta sauce ready to go. Make sure your pasta sauce is ready and waiting to be mixed into the hot pasta as soon as you drain it. The sauce is relying on the hot pasta to heat it through. If you find that your sauce did not get warm enough for your liking, you can heat it on medium-low for 5 minutes.
Serving Ideas
- Crisp Cauliflower Bites
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Lemony Peppered Salmon
- Garlic Butter Steak Tips
Recipe Help & FAQs
sauce?
Allow the pasta to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. This pasta is perfect for leftovers! Reheat on the stove with a splash of water or broth until heated through.
No, I don’t recommend it because the texture and quality won’t be the same. Cottage cheese tends to become watery and grainy when frozen and thawed, so you won’t enjoy it the same.
You don’t have to, but you’re going to want to. The cottage cheese needs to be blended in order to smoothly incorporate into the sauce. Otherwise it will be chunky but the flavors will still be the same.
Cottage cheese does not melt like some other types of cheese when cooked. It has a high moisture content and a curd-like texture, which prevents it from melting into a smooth, gooey consistency. This recipe blends the cottage cheese into the tomato sauce for a smoother consistency.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes:
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Cajun Pasta Sauce with Chicken
- Chicken with Pesto Pasta
- Pan Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Yogurt Sauce Pasta with Pine Nuts
- Vegan Cashew Tomato Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
- Arrabiata Pasta with Shrimp
- Green Pea Pasta Sauce
If you try this Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Creamy Cottage Cheese Tomato Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta or pasta of choice
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup whole-milk cottage cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain and return the pasta to the pot, covered.
- Place marinara sauce, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, melted butter, crushed red pepper and pasta water in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce on top of the cooked pasta and toss until combined and heated through. Serve immediately with more red pepper flakes and chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
Looks delish
Thanks, Marlynn!
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