Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe

This Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce is low in carbs and high in protein! It’s a great way to top cooked pasta, veggies, or chicken for the whole family to enjoy. Find out how to make this indulgent sauce for your next easy meal at home! 

cottage cheese pasta sauce on gluten free penne close up in bowl

What I love about this cottage cheese recipe, is that it can be used with any type of pasta. You can use this for fettuccine alfredo, or a high-protein cottage cheese sauce for spaghetti, macaroni noodles, and more. I love that there are some pretty incredible things that you can make with the addition of cottage cheese! 

You can also use it with pasta subs such as spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or hearts of palm noodles for a keto option.

Skip the traditional cream sauce and give this delicious sauce a try. I assure you that it pairs perfectly with tender noodles, creating a super-simple and hearty weeknight meal. Plus – adding this homemade sauce can easily help you reach your daily protein goal! 

collage of food
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Speaking of cottage cheese, be sure to give this Cottage Cheese Queso and this Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse a try! Both are so good!

cottage cheese pasta sauce served on gluten free penne in bowl from overhead

Ingredients

  • Cottage cheese – You can use low fat or full-fat cottage cheese, large curd or small curd for this silky smooth sauce. 
  • Colby jack cheese  – Shredded cheese works best. 
  • Parmesan cheese – I use shredded cheese for this, but you could also sprinkle in this cheese. 
  • Heavy cream or half and half – Either will work as they add richness and help with the texture. 
  • Onion powder – You can add as much or as little as you like.
  • Garlic powder – Same as the onion powder you can add garlic to taste.
  • Salt – Salt will enhance the other flavors.
  • Pepper – For added taste. 

See recipe card for quantities.

ingredients in food processor

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

ingredients in food processor

Step One: Add all the ingredients to the food processor. You can season to taste after mixing if you prefer.

creamy mixture in food processor

Step Two: Blend until smooth.

sauce added to hot pasta in pot

Step Three: Scrape the sides of the food processor and blend again. It will be thick. Add to your cooked hot pasta. 

penne with the sauce in pot

Step Four: Mix in the sauce. For a thinner sauce just add the liquid of your choice.

Top Tip💡

To make this into a super creamy cottage cheese pasta sauce, you can add more liquid as you’re processing. Just keep an eye on it so that you don’t make it too thin. If it does get too thin, just add more cottage cheese and blend. 

Substitutions

  • Seasonings – You can add any seasonings that you want to this creamy sauce. Red pepper flakes, fresh basil, worcestershire sauce – all good options! 

Variations

  • Use your favorite pasta – If you have picky eaters, change up the type of pasta that you use. This would be great as an cottage cheese alreado pasta sauce with alfredo noodles, or you can use with chickpea pasta or gluten-free pasta as well. The sauce literally adds extra protein to any type of noodle dish that you want to make! You can even use this for lasagna recipes! 
  • Meat – Don’t forget to try cooked chicken sausage or ground beef with this sauce. Once you cook the meat, you can stir it into the sauce to create a dairy superfood sauce loaded with comfort foods and flavor. 

See these Keto Pasta Noodles for a simple and easy option for homemade low carb noodles.

cottage cheese pasta sauce served on gluten free penne in bowl

Equipment

To make this high protein pasta sauce, you’ll want to have a food processor, and spatula. That’s really all you need to get started with the meal prep. You can also use a high-speed blender. 

Storage

One you make this simple sauce, be sure to store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. That way, you can use this sauce again over the next few days! Freezing is not recommended due to dairy being the main ingredient. 

bite of penne on a fork close up

Common Questions

How can I make this into a complete meal? 

Once you make the sauce, all you have to do is pair it with a protein and/or pasta of choice – and then eat. You can add a side salad and some keto bread rolls if you would like. The fun part about this high-protein pasta sauce is that it’s a hearty meal once it’s paired with pasta and nothing else is really needed. 

Does this taste like traditional alfredo sauce? 

It has its own flavor, but it will remind you of alfredo sauce. The reason that cooking with cottage cheese has become so popular is that it doesn’t have an overpowering flavor, making it a great choice for baking, cooking, and more. Plus – the added protein boost is good your daily needs. 

Add all the seasonings that you want to get this sauce to taste just like you want it to. It’s extremely versatile in how it can be varied.

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cottage cheese pasta sauce on penne close up in bowl

Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Taryn

This Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce recipe is low carb & high protein! It’s a great way to top pasta, meat, or veggies for a healthy meal.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Total Time 2 minutes

Course Appetizer, Main Course, sauce

Cuisine American

  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup colby jack cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • Add ingredients to a food processor.

  • Process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

  • Toss with hot pasta, spaghetti squash, cooked chicken, or other veggies.

Calories: 169.6Carbohydrates: 3.3gProtein: 12.3gFat: 11.9gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.1gCholesterol: 37.3mgSodium: 658.5mgPotassium: 98.7mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1.8gVitamin A: 396.9IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 238.2mgIron: 0.3mg

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