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15 Minute Creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce
This ridiculously easy creamy cottage cheese alfredo sauce comes together in 15 minutes for a weeknight meal the whole family will love! Made with just 5 simple ingredients like cottage cheese, milk and parmesan cheese, it offers an extra boost of protein (without sacrificing that delicious flavor) for a more filling and satisfying take on the classic.
I recently asked you all what you wanted to see more of here on the blog and there was a resounding request for more quick, easy (under 30 minutes), healthy and balanced dinner recipes. As a dietitian and busy mom, I get how overwhelming the constant demand to put another meal on the table can be, so I was super excited when I finally nailed this recipe to check all those boxes! Cottage cheese is the star of the show here lending that delicious cheesy flavor, a super creamy consistency and a major nutrition boost with over 25 grams of protein per cup, plus a dose of calcium!
One of the best parts, my entire family loves this recipe, my 2 year old daughter went for thirds of this one, so I knew it was a winner. Haha It takes just 15 minutes from start to finish with minimal cleanup and is super versatile! I often like to add chopped spinach or peas for some added veggies to make it a complete balanced meal, and sometimes I’ll add sliced chicken breasts or shrimp if I’ve got it on hand for an added boost of protein.
This recipe did take a few extra rounds of testing, so I’ve included notes to help make sure it’s a success in your home!
Looking for more quick and easy balanced pasta dishes? Try my my creamy cottage cheese pesto pasta or my better-than-boxed mac and cheese (seriously, there’s not much cottage cheese can’t do. haha)
What You Need To Make This Alfredo
Pasta noodles: I like to make this with linguini, fettuccine or penne noodles, but you can really use whatever noodle you prefer or have on hand (my kids love it with elbow macaroni). I like to use a higher fiber pasta like Catelli’s Smart pasta for an extra boost of fiber that still looks and tastes similar to white pasta.
Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is my secret weapon when I need protein in a pinch. With over 25g of protein per cup, its creamy texture and cheesy flavor provide the perfect base for a velvety sauce. I usually use 2% as it is quite hard to find higher milk fat cottage cheese in Canada, but if you can find it, I recommend 2% or higher!
Milk: Milk blends with the cottage cheese to create a smooth base. It’s also a great source of vitamin D and calcium. I usually use 2% or 3.25% milk because that’s what we normally have in our fridge but you can use whatever milk or unflavored milk alternative you have on hand. The higher the milk fat the creamier the sauce will be. If you’re using a plant based milk, soy milk will be the closest nutritionally to regular milk, on the higher end for protein of the plant-based milks.
Parmesan cheese: Classic to traditional alfredo, I like to use parmesan cheese for this sauce. I recommend freshly grating your own parm, as the pre-grated option from the store has an anti-caking agent that can cause the sauce to clump. In this recipe I blend the cheese right into the sauce for the smoothest texture.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is key to thickening the sauce and keeping it together.
Garlic powder: I love garlic powder in this recipe as a shortcut to mincing your own. It still provides great flavor and incorporates well into the smooth sauce.
Salt and pepper: My go to seasoning combo. These enhance and balance the overall flavor of the sauce.
Parsley: I used to think parsley had not flavor, but over the years I’ve realized that it adds a fresh flavor and bright color to any dish. This ingredient is optional but definitely elevates the dish when used.
How To Make It
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
To a blender, add cottage cheese, milk, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and cornstarch. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
Pour the sauce into the same pot the pasta was boiled in and turn to low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and thickened a bit, 2-3 minutes.
Add the noodles and cook another 2-3 minutes until noodles are coated and sauce is desired consistency. It may look like the sauce isn’t sticking to the noodles, that’s ok. Turn off heat and let the noodles sit 3-4 minutes before serving. As the starches cool slightly, this will help the sauce stick.
Serve and garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked pepper if desired. Enjoy!
Mistakes and Fixes
This recipe took a bit of time to perfect. Here are a few challenges I had along the way with fixes so you can learn from my mistakes!
Freshly Grated Cheese: Freshly grated parm works best for this recipe and pre-shredded or grated typically has an anti caking agent which can cause clumping in the sauc
Drain Pasta Well: Ensure pasta is drained well. I have found that if the noodles are too wet it can make it difficult for the sauce to cling to the noodles
Cook at Low Heat: Make sure to heat over low-medium heat, stirring frequently. You sauce likely won’t even come to a simmer but will still heat through. If it’s cooked at too high of a heat or isn’t stirred, the sauce can separate.
Heating Sauce Before Adding Noodles: I originally tested this recipe adding the noodles and sauce to the pot at the same time, heating them both together. What I found here was very inconsistent results. If there was too much of a temperature difference between the sauce and noodles, it could cause the sauce to separate.
If Sauce Separates: If the sauce does separate when heating, return to the blender with a splash of milk or the pasta boiling water and blend on high and it should blend back together!
Save Time and Prep Ahead
I love finding ways for you to save time in the kitchen. Here are a few key ingredients you can prep ahead of time to save you money (today and throughout the week).
Garlic Powder: As mentioned I like to use garlic powder for a quick and mess free option for this recipe!
Pre-Cook Pasta: When I make a pasta dish, I will double the amount of pasta needed and use half today and freeze the other half. To freeze: let the extra noodles cool then add to a sealable freezer bag. Lay them out flat in a single layer and freeze up to 1 month! To use: Simply pull out of the freezer the night before or run them under hot water to thaw. When ready to use, simply toss the defrosted noodles in the sauce until heated through.
Take This Sauce to the Next Level
One of my favorite things about pasta dishes is that you can turn them into a kitchen sink recipe. This not only reduces food waste (use up any food that’s starting to go) it also adds an extra dose of nutrition.
Add protein: Saute up some prawns or add in leftover chicken for some extra protein.
Mix in some veggies: Add in some sauteed mushrooms or antioxidant rich cherry tomatoes, mix in chopped spinach for extra iron, or toss in leftover broccoli or cauliflower for a boost of antioxidants. All these veggies pair well with the creaminess of this sauce AND will add in some tasty vitamins and minerals to create a balanced meal.
Finish with nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is a vegan-friendly seasoning used to add umami flavor to a dish. It has a similar flavor profile as parmesan and is very rich in B vitamins. 1 Tbsp or fortified nutritional yeast has about 50% of your DV of vitamin B12!
Watch how to make it here!
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15 Minute Creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This ridiculously easy creamy cottage cheese alfredo sauce comes together in 15 minutes for a weeknight meal the whole family will love! Made with just 5 simple ingredients like cottage cheese, milk and parmesan cheese, it offers an extra boost of protein (without sacrificing that delicious flavor) for a more filling and satisfying take on the classic.
Ingredients
250g dry pasta
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoons cornstarch
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside (ensure pasta has sat at least 5 minutes to cool a bit and drain well before adding to the sauce).
- To a blender, add cottage cheese, milk, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and cornstarch. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
- Pour the sauce into medium pot (if it’s the same pot the pasta was boiled it, make sure it has cooled before adding the sauce) and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently with a whisk, until heated through and thickened a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Add the noodles and stir to coat, continuing to stir as the noodles heat through, about 1-2 minutes. It may look like the sauce isn’t sticking to the noodles, that’s ok. Turn off heat and let the pasta sit about 5 minutes before serving, stirring a couple of times. As the starches cool slightly, the sauce will cling better to the noodles.
- Serve and garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked pepper if desired. I also like to serve this with chicken or shrimp for an added boost of protein.
Notes
To reheat: Add the pasta with a splash of milk to a pan and heat over medium low. Stir frequently until just heated through. You can also reheat with a splash of milk in the microwave, but I find the cheese gets a bit stringier when heating this way. Still tastes delicious but heating over the stove will give the best consistency
Prep ahead: The pasta can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer. Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition boosts: Add in chicken or shrimp for extra protein or add veggies like tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower or broccoli.
Loved this recipe! Delish AND easy to make! I added chicken and topped it with nutritional yeast – great suggestions Lindsay! Will definitely make it again!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Sandy! It’s always nice to have those easy winners in the rotation isn’t it!? Love the add ins! Enjoy!
Oh my. So quick. So easy. So delicious.
Yayy! So glad you enjoyed it Amy!
This is a great, healthy alternative to Alfredo sauce. It comes together quickly and delivers on taste. My 3yo approved, which is always a bonus. A little added S&P and chili flakes for the adults and you have a versatile family meal. Thanks!
Ok 3 year old approved! That’s a definite win! haha so glad you were able to make it work for a speedy meal for the whole fam Jess! Thanks for taking the time to share your review 🥰