Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Yumna Jawad

Updated Apr 28, 2025

4.92 from 217 votes

This easy high-protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce only requires 5 ingredients, a high-speed blender and it's ready for your favorite pasta!

Jump to Recipe ▼
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Comments
54

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Creamy cottage cheese pasta sauce made with tomatoes.
Save this recipe!
Type your email & I’ll send it to you!

Jump to Section

Make Pasta Sauce with Cottage Cheese

Did you know you can make a 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

Ingredients for recipe: marinara, parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, red pepper flakes, butter, and cooked pasta.
  • 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!

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Sauce ingredients in a blender before blending.
Step 1: Add the pasta water from cooking the pasta to a blender with tomato sauce, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, melted butter, and crushed red pepper.
After blending smooth.
Step 2: Blend until the pasta sauce is smooth and creamy.
Sauce on top of pasta in pot before combining.
Step 3: Pour the sauce onto the cooked pasta in the pot.
Cooked pasta tossed in sauce.
Step 4: Toss until combined and the sauce has heated through.
Cottage cheese tomato pasta.

Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Author: Yumna Jawad
4.92 from 217 votes
This high-protein cottage cheese pasta sauce only requires 6 ingredients, a high-speed blender, and your favorite pasta!
Print Review
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings6 servings

Video

Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

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.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Allow the pasta to cook and store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water or broth until heated through. 
Tips:
Add pasta water to your sauce. The starches in the pasta water when blended with cottage cheese creates a smooth sauce that is less likely to break down.
Use any cottage cheese. Whole milk cottage cheese will be much more flavorful and add richness to your pasta. If you’re making blended cottage cheese pasta sauce for the protein punch, you’re in luck because both low fat and full fat cottage cheese has about the same amount in each serving.
Add veggies. Just like most pasta dishes, adding more vegetables can really bulk up your meal! Try adding spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, or any other veggies to your protein pasta sauce!
 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2oz, Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 427mg, Potassium: 187mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 213IU, Calcium: 123mg, Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

    Did You Make This Recipe?
    Leave a comment below!

    Recipe Variations

    • 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.

    Recipe Tips

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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

    FAQs

    Do I have to blend the sauce?

    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.

    Does cottage cheese melt when cooked?

    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.

    Cottage Cheese Tomato Pasta with a fork lifting up a bite.

    More Pasta Sauce Recipes:

    4.92 from 217 votes (196 ratings without comment)

    Rate and comment

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    1. Jennifer says:

      I made this, but I found it to be surprisingly bland. I followed the directions and just ended up with a ton of pasta wasted.

      Reply
      1. Yumna J. says:

        I’m so sorry to hear that! The taste will depend on the marinara you used. What brand or type of marinara did you use? And is it one you normally use with just pasta on its own? This is supposed to be just a more creamy version tomato pasta sauce but of course you can doctor it up with more seasoning if the marinara you’re using is not seasoned.

        Reply
    2. Marlynn Goren says:

      Looks delish

      Reply
      1. Yumna J. says:

        Thanks, Marlynn!

        Reply

    See All Comments