Pasta Alfredo Cottage Cheese (Printable)

Creamy pasta featuring a smooth cottage cheese sauce without heavy use of cream.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine or linguine

→ Alfredo Sauce

02 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
03 - 1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
04 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp salt
09 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

# Directions:

01 - Boil a large pot of salted water and cook fettuccine or linguine until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, milk, and Parmesan cheese in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant, avoiding browning.
04 - Add the blended cottage cheese mixture to the skillet along with salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Stir and warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes, avoiding boiling.
05 - Toss the drained pasta into the skillet with the sauce. Adjust consistency by gradually adding reserved pasta water until desired creaminess is reached.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's creamy and rich without the heaviness that leaves you feeling stuffed for the rest of the evening.
  • Ready in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that tastes like you spent actual time on it.
  • Cottage cheese is cheaper than cream and sits in most people's fridges already, making this impossibly budget-friendly.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blending—I learned this the hard way when I tried to save time and got a grainy sauce that nobody wanted to eat.
  • Reserved pasta water is your secret weapon for fixing the sauce consistency; it has starch that helps everything cling together instead of staying separated.
  • Low heat is non-negotiable here because high heat will turn your cottage cheese mixture into a broken, sad mess that no amount of water can fix.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining—I keep a measuring cup right next to the colander so I never forget this crucial step.
  • Taste the sauce for seasoning before the pasta goes in because you can adjust it easily then, but it's harder afterward.
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