Pasta sauce with cottage cheese

This cottage cheese pasta sauce creates a creamy, flavorful dinner that comes together quickly. With garlic and herbs, it’s an easy way to upgrade weeknight pasta with very little effort.

Flavor: The flavor is a creamy, tangy tomato sauce with the smooth richness of cottage cheese, enhanced with garlic and herbs.
Why do it: Mixing cottage cheese with jarred pasta sauce creates a creamy texture without the need for roux, heavy cream, or extra fuss.
Recommended tools: A blender gives the creamiest, smoothest finish to the sauce, although an immersion blender works in a pinch.

oil , oregano , onion powder , pasta , red pepper flakes , basil , cottage cheese , garlic , pasta sauce , salt and pepper with labels to make pasta sauce with cottage cheese

Ingredient notes

Pasta Sauce: Use a marinara sauce or mild tomato-based pasta sauce that you already like, or make a homemade sauce, as it sets the overall flavor of the dish.
Cottage cheese: Full-fat, low-curd cottage cheese mixes more smoothly, reheats beautifully, and is easier to puree into a creamy sauce.
Pasta: Penne, rigatoni, and rotini hold this sauce especially well, but long noodles will work too. Cook the pasta al dente to prevent it from overcooking in the sauce.
Variations: Add cooked Italian sausage for a heartier meal, add grilled or roasted vegetables for more flavor, or swap out the oregano for Italian seasoning. You can also add a handful of spinach at the end to soften it into the warm pasta.

add ingredients to blender to make cottage cheese pasta sauce

add sauce to pan to make cottage cheese pasta sauce

Add noodles to sauce to make cottage cheese pasta sauce

How to make pasta sauce with cottage cheese

cook pasta (full recipe below).
Blend the cottage cheese and pasta sauce with the seasonings.
In a skillet, cook the onion, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Add the cottage cheese mixture and pasta to the pan and heat until heated through.

For a smooth sauce: Blend the sauce until completely smooth and keep the pan on medium-low to low heat once the sauce comes in.
To thin the sauce: If the sauce is too thick after mixing, add the pasta water a little at a time.
Make it more friendly: Add cooked sausage, roasted chicken, or white beans for a heartier meal.

mix noodles with cottage cheese pasta sauce

Leftover Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.

Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring frequently and adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick. Avoid boiling when reheating to prevent the sauce from becoming grainy.

Favorite Pasta Sauce Recipes

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image from Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Cooking time 15 minutes

Total time 15 minutes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ¾ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta well. Set aside.
In a blender, blend pasta sauce, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and onion powder until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the cottage cheese sauce and cooked pasta to the pan. Stir until everything is evenly coated and heated through.
Add pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Do not overheat the sauce or it will become grainy.
This recipe can be halved to serve as a side dish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary depending on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Pasta

Kitchen Italian

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