This Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce pairs perfectly with your favorite pasta for a delicious and easy weeknight meal. Simply blend the sauce ingredients, cook the pasta, mix everything together, and you’re ready to enjoy. It’s that simple!
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If you’ve never tried making alfredo with cottage cheese, what are you waiting for? This 5 ingredient cottage cheese alfredo skips the heavy cream, offering a lower-fat twist on the classic recipe, while still being super creamy and full of flavor.
Plus, thanks to the cottage cheese, this version is higher in protein than the traditional. The best part is how easy it is to whip up a batch of this cottage cheese sauce! Everything gets blended and then tossed with hot pasta for a simple meal your family is sure to request often. And it’ll be on the table in under 30 minutes!
For more sauces to pair with pasta, check out this homemade fresh mushroom sauce and cashew pesto next.
Ingredients
- Cottage Cheese: I recommend 4% fat for the creamiest result, but you can use as low as 2% if you’d like. I wouldn’t go any lower in fat than that.
- Parmesan Cheese: You’ll need this for the sauce and for topping the pasta after it’s cooked.
- Flavor Boosters: I used a clove of garlic, some salt, and black pepper to enhance the flavor of the sauce.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter, but feel free to use salted if that’s what you’ve got on hand. You can cut back on the added salt, too, if you’d like.
- Pasta: I used linguine, but if you want to make cottage cheese fettuccine alfredo, feel free to use fettuccine. You can also try penne, rotini, or farfalle. Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Parsley: Fresh, chopped parsley adds a pop of color and a bright flavor to the finished dish. You can omit it if preferred.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- More Protein: Add even more protein to this cottage cheese pasta by tossing it with some cooked chopped chicken, crumbled bacon, or diced pancetta.
- Add Veggies: Saute your favorite veggies like broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, or others to mix in with the pasta and protein alfredo sauce.
- Spice it up: Give this cottage cheese pasta sauce a little kick of heat by mixing in a bit of crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce
To get started making this pasta sauce with cottage cheese, fill a pot with water for cooking the pasta and get out your blender.
Step 1: Add sauce ingredients to the blender. Place the cottage cheese, ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper into the blender.
Step 2: Blend. Secure the lid and blend until the sauce has a smooth and creamy texture.
Step 3: Cook the pasta. Boil the water and cook the linguine according to package directions. Be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
Step 4: Combine the pasta and sauce. Return the pasta to the pot and add the sauce. Pour in half of the reserved pasta water, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is warmed through and evenly coats the pasta. Stir in more of the reserved pasta water, if needed. Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese for serving.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some delicious ideas for serving your pasta and alfredo sauce with cottage cheese:
- Enjoy it as a side dish with these slow cooked turkey wings or this air fried salmon for an easy dinner.
- Serve it as a main course alongside these crockpot Brussels sprouts or slow cooker mushrooms. Or, mix them in!
- Make this alfredo pasta for a special occasion and enjoy it with a cocktail like this chambord and champagne.
Expert Tips
- Fresh is best: I highly recommend grating your own Parmesan cheese for best results. Not only is the flavor better, but the packaged kind contains anti-caking agents that affect the texture and ability to melt well.
- Use room temperature butter: Be sure your butter is at room temperature so that it blends more smoothly. If the butter is cold, it may not incorporate properly, resulting in a grainy texture.
- Storing: This dish is best enjoyed right after it’s made, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to make this cottage cheese alfredo recipe. Just be sure to blend long enough to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. If your food processor doesn’t get it as smooth as you'd like, you can process it in batches if needed.
For a thicker sauce, don’t use all of the reserved pasta water. Only add what you need until your desired consistency is reached. You can also add a little more Parmesan cheese during blending if you’d like.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
Creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo With Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cottage cheese 4% fat
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning pasta water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound linguine
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley optional
- Additional grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese, ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
- Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the linguine until al dente, following the package instructions.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the linguine, then return the pasta to the pot.
- Pour in the blended sauce along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring continuously over low heat until the sauce is warmed through and clings to the pasta, about 3 minutes. Slowly add remaining ½ cup water until desired consistency is reached.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, before serving.
Notes
- While this pasta dish is best served immediately, leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to make the sauce. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Feel free to use any pasta shape you’d like with this recipe.