Tomato Cottage Cheese Pasta

We’ve all seen the cottage cheese trend flying around the internet for some time now and there’s only so long I can resist the temptation. I am actually pro cottage cheese – maybe not cottage cheese flatbread, or many of the concoctions we’ve seen. But in this context, I’m absolutely a fan! Follow me…

Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Admittedly, just cottage cheese + pasta doesn’t sound overly appetising. However, with just a handful of other goodies included you can end up with something truly delicious.

Tomato and Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

I ended up going with a tomato base using a good amount of tomato puree and sun dried tomatoes. For an added boost of flavour, I added some garlic, chilli flakes and fresh basil too. The cottage cheese adds a nice tangy, creamy flavour and brings everything together really nicely. For a smooth consistency, you’ll want to blend everything together before tossing it through the pasta. Process shots: fry garlic and chilli flakes in butter (photo 1), fry tomato puree (photo 2), pour in stock (photo 3), add to blender (photo 4).

Cottage Cheese Pasta

Once you’ve blended up the sauce, it’s time to toss it through the pasta.

How do I prevent the sauce from splitting?

Cottage cheese isn’t a melting cheese, so the sauce can split under certain circumstances. To prevent this you’ll want to consider two things:

Heat – I recommend bringing the cheese to room temp before you blend it. Also, make sure you toss the pasta with the heat off. Pasta Water – Make sure you toss some pasta water through the sauce as you toss the pasta. The starch can help bind the sauce and prevent it from splitting.

Process shots: blend sauce (photo 1), add pasta to pan (photo 2), add sauce (photo 3), toss with parmesan (photo 4).

What if the sauce is too thick to blend?

The sauce will be quite thick so just add in a splash of pasta water to get things going if needed.

What kind of pasta should I use?

I love using Bucatini, but any long-cut pasta will do!

Is there anything else I could add?

Cottage cheese is fairly high protein, so I serve it as is. But you could add chicken, sausage or whatever your tastebuds fancy!

Serving Cottage Cheese Pasta

To serve, I love sprinkling over some leftover basil leaves for a pop of colour and flavour. Just tuck right in whilst it’s still hot! For another similar recipe check out my Cream Cheese Pasta! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cottage cheese pasta shall we?!