Description
This Cottage Cheese Alfredo recipe offers a creamy, protein-packed twist on traditional Alfredo sauce by incorporating cottage cheese blended with milk for a smooth texture. Combined with Parmesan and Italian seasoning, it creates a rich yet lighter sauce that pairs perfectly with your favorite pasta. Ready in just 15 minutes, this easy stovetop meal is both comforting and nutritious, ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
- 1 1/4 cups cottage cheese (Good Culture whole milk preferred, but any variety works)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water (reserved)
Pasta
- 12 ounces pasta of choice
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese and milk: In a high-speed blender, combine the milk and cottage cheese and blend until completely smooth. This creates the creamy base for the Alfredo sauce.
- Sauté garlic: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add cheese mixture and seasoning: Pour the blended cottage cheese and milk into the pan, then stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Stir gently on low heat to melt the Parmesan and combine flavors, taking care to avoid overheating which can cause curdling.
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse briefly with cool water to stop cooking.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Return the sauce to low heat and toss in the cooked pasta. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency. Warm gently just until heated through, avoiding high heat to prevent sauce separation.
Notes
- Use whole milk cottage cheese for a richer sauce, but lower fat versions will also work.
- Be careful not to overheat the sauce once the cheese is added to prevent curdling.
- Rinsing pasta after cooking helps cool it slightly to avoid overheating the sauce when combining.
- Adding reserved pasta water adjusts the sauce consistency and helps it cling better to the noodles.
- This sauce is best served immediately for optimal creaminess and texture.
