Pasta Alfredo Cottage Cheese (Printer-friendly)

A light, creamy sauce using cottage cheese blends perfectly with pasta for a quick satisfying dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, milk, and Parmesan in a blender or food processor and blend until fully smooth and creamy.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
04 - Pour blended cottage cheese mixture into skillet. Add salt, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Stir and gently warm for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling.
05 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to fully coat with sauce. Adjust sauce consistency by adding reserved pasta water gradually if needed.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and creamy without leaving you feeling weighed down afterward.
  • Ready in under 30 minutes, it fits perfectly into a weeknight dinner that still feels special.
  • The cottage cheese hack keeps costs down while somehow making the sauce taste even more velvety.
02 -
  • Do not let the cottage cheese sauce boil; if you see bubbles, pull it back to a gentle simmer immediately or it will break and turn grainy.
  • Blending the cottage cheese until truly smooth is the entire game—any lumps will ruin the silky texture you're after.
  • That reserved pasta water is your secret weapon for fixing consistency; starch clings to pasta and helps the sauce adhere, so use it wisely.
03 -
  • Grate your own Parmesan if possible—it melts into the sauce like silk, whereas pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent that seamless integration.
  • The difference between a good sauce and a great one is often just one extra minute of patience; let your garlic toast, let the sauce warm through, let the pasta water do its job of thinning rather than adding cold milk.
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