This creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce is one of the easiest ways to make a simple tomato pasta higher in protein without using cream. It is made by blending tinned tomatoes with cottage cheese. It is then heated with tomato purée and optional Italian seasoning until smooth, rich and pasta-ready. Honestly, you CAN'T taste the cottage cheese.
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If you aren't usually a fan of cottage cheese, then you HAVE to try this high protein pasta sauce. Because once blended into the tomatoes, the texture disappears completely. You still get the creaminess and protein, but without the curds.
The cottage cheese blends into the tomatoes to create a creamy sauce, while the tomato purée helps deepen the colour so the sauce looks more like a classic tomato pasta sauce rather than a pale pink one. It is quick, budget-friendly and ideal for family dinners, meal prep or high-protein lunches.
This cottage cheese pasta sauce is creamy without being heavy, and it is a great option if you want a higher-protein pasta sauce that still feels comforting. It uses simple ingredients, takes very little prep, and works with most pasta shapes.
Looking for more cottage cheese recipes? Why not try our easy Cottage Cheese Smoothie, Starbucks copycat Cottage Cheese Egg Bites or our delicious Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats.
For more cottage cheese inspiration, take a look at 30 Cottage Cheese Recipes.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tomatoes - Use diced tomatoes rather than plum, as they will need less blending.
- Tomato puree - This helps to make it more of a red colour and add extra tomato flavour.
- Cottage cheese - Use a really good quality cottage cheese, like Longley Farm. You can use full fat or reduced fat.
- Seasoning - An Italian seasoning blend.
Variations
Garlic - Gently fry one or two crushed garlic cloves in a little olive oil before adding the blended sauce to the pan.
Hidden Vegetables - Blend in roasted red pepper, cooked carrot, courgette (zucchini) or spinach. Roasted red pepper works especially well because it keeps the sauce red and adds sweetness.
Spicy - Add chilli flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper or a spoonful of 'nduja-style paste if you want a richer heat.
Herby - Add fresh basil at the end or stir through a spoonful of pesto before serving.
Extra protein - Serve the sauce with chicken, turkey meatballs, tuna, prawns or lentil pasta.
Baked pasta - Mix the sauce with cooked pasta, add to a baking dish, top with mozzarella or cheddar, and bake until bubbling.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Step 1: Put the canned tomatoes and cottage cheese in a blender.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth.
- Step 3: Transfer the blended tomatoes and cottage cheese to a pan. Add the tomato puree and seasoning.
- Step 4: Heat gently, stirring continuously, for 4-5 minutes, until heated through.
- Step 5: Stir through cooked pasta.
Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce Serving Suggestions
Serve this cottage cheese pasta sauce with cooked pasta and a simple side salad for an easy balanced meal. It also works well with garlic bread, roasted vegetables, roasted tenderstem broccoli or green beans.
Higher protein - Add grilled chicken, cooked sausage, turkey mince, prawns or crispy bacon. For a vegetarian option, add roasted vegetables, white beans, lentils or peas.
You can also use the sauce beyond pasta. Spoon it over gnocchi, use it as a quick sauce for meatballs, spread it onto wraps or flatbreads as a pizza-style base, or use it in a simple pasta bake.
Meal Prep and Leftovers
Meal prep - This cottage cheese pasta sauce is a good meal prep option because it can be made in advance and stored separately from the pasta. For best results, make the sauce, cool it quickly, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
When you are ready to eat, heat the sauce gently in a pan or microwave, then stir through freshly cooked pasta. If the sauce thickens in the fridge, add a splash of pasta water, milk or stock to loosen it.
If prepping full pasta portions, slightly undercook the pasta before mixing it with the sauce. This helps prevent the pasta from becoming too soft when reheated.
Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the rerigerator for up to 3 days.
Leftovers - Leftover pasta mixed with the sauce can also be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, although the pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits.
Reheat gently in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water, milk or stock before reheating to bring the sauce back to a creamy consistency.
Freeze - This sauce can be frozen, but the texture may change slightly because of the cottage cheese. If freezing, blend the sauce very well, cool completely, then freeze in portions for up to 2 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, stirring well. There is a risk of this separating though, so although it is better than wasting food, I wouldn't recommended.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Blend the sauce until completely smooth so the cottage cheese disappears into the tomatoes.
- Use tomato purée to deepen the colour and give the sauce a richer tomato flavour. This is what helps make the sauce look more red and less pink.
- Heat the sauce gently rather than boiling it hard. Cottage cheese is dairy-based, so gentle heating helps keep the sauce smooth.
- Taste before serving. Tinned tomatoes can vary in acidity, so you may need a little more seasoning or a tiny pinch of sugar.
- Save some pasta water before draining the pasta. A splash of starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives it a silkier finish.
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest result, especially if serving this to children or anyone who prefers a richer sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you can't. Once blended with the tomatoes and heated with tomato purée and seasoning, the cottage cheese mostly adds creaminess rather than a strong cheesy flavour.
Yes. Passata will make the sauce even smoother and more tomato-rich. You may still want to add tomato purée to deepen the colour and flavour.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
If you've tried this high protein pasta sauce recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Easy Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) of Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 250 g (1 cups) of Fat free cottage cheese
- 4 tablespoons of Tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Put 400 g of Chopped tomatoes and 250 g of Fat free cottage cheese in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the blended tomatoes and cottage cheese to a pan. Add 4 tablespoons of Tomato puree and 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning.
- Heat gently, stirring continuously, for 4-5 minutes, until heated through.
Recipe Tips
- Blend the sauce until completely smooth so the cottage cheese disappears into the tomatoes.
- Use tomato purée to deepen the colour and give the sauce a richer tomato flavour. This is what helps make the sauce look more red and less pink.
- Heat the sauce gently rather than boiling it hard. Cottage cheese is dairy-based, so gentle heating helps keep the sauce smooth.
- Taste before serving. Tinned tomatoes can vary in acidity, so you may need a little more seasoning or a tiny pinch of sugar.
- Save some pasta water before draining the pasta. A splash of starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives it a silkier finish.
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest result, especially if serving this to children or anyone who prefers a richer sauce.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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