This creamy cottage cheese and spinach pasta uses blended cottage cheese for a quick sauce without heavy cream.

Tips for cottage cheese and spinach pasta

For a vegetarian recipe use cheese made with microbial or vegetable rennet; traditional parmesan may contain animal rennet. Pasta cooking water changes texture, not the modeled dry pasta nutrients. Dairy sauce is best fresh and may split after freezing.

Helpful equipment: A blender or food processor helps make the cottage cheese sauce smooth. I use this type of tool in my kitchen; compare the linked option with your needs and existing equipment.

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MACROS PER SERVING

Estimated

32.1gPROTEIN

489Calories

65.2gCarbs

11.4gFat

4gFiber

Estimated nutrition; calculation review is not complete. Actual values depend on ingredients and portions.

Budget Rating

$ · Budget-FriendlyRelative affordability based on typical ingredients and recipe yield. Actual grocery prices vary by store, location, season, and package size.

Creamy Cottage Cheese & Spinach Pasta

Blended cottage cheese makes a quick, creamy sauce for spinach pasta without heavy cream.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 4 equal portions

Calories 489 kcal

Equipment

1 large pot or baking dish as directed food thermometer

Ingredients

10 oz dry pasta
2 2/3 cups 2% cottage cheese
10 1/2 oz fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup 1% milk
7 Tbsp parmesan, grated, vegetarian microbial-rennet type if needed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta to the package’s al dente time, generally 9–12 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining.
Blend cottage cheese and milk until smooth. Keep aside; do not boil this mixture.
While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then spinach and cook for 2–3 minutes until wilted.
Turn heat to low. Add drained pasta, blended cottage cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper. Toss gently for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water a little at a time until coated. Heat gently until hot without a hard boil.
Divide into four equal portions and serve promptly.

Notes

Serving: one of 4 equal portions of the complete batch. Finished cooked weight and volume are unmeasured. No unlisted sides or toppings included.

Refrigerate in shallow containers at 40°F or below within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). Use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F throughout; bring soups and stews to a rolling boil while stirring. Freeze a trial portion for up to 2 months for quality, then thaw in the refrigerator. Do not reheat in a slow cooker.

Development recipe; not personally cooked or kitchen tested. Nutrition is Estimated, not Reviewed. Brands and substitutions change the estimate.

Storage and meal prep

Ingredient notes

Use the ingredient quantities and food states listed in the card. Choose store brands and frozen vegetables where the same plain ingredient fits the method. Meat, cheese, sauce or grain swaps can change both cooking time and nutrition. No unlisted sides or toppings are counted.

About the nutrition

One serving is one of 4 equal portions of the whole batch. Nutrition is an estimate based on the listed ingredient assumptions. Finished yield has not been weighed or measured. This development recipe has not been personally cooked or kitchen tested.