Cook up this cottage cheese pesto pasta as a cozy vegetarian high protein dinner idea! It combines just six ingredients, has all easy recipe steps and comes together in about 20 minutes.
Much like my cottage cheese and red pepper pasta, this weeknight dinner recipe makes the most of this creamy, rich high protein fresh cheese. It's so easy to use, adds flavor and works perfectly with the fragrant pesto.
Making the cottage cottage cheese pesto sauce couldn't be easier, and I've made it with pumpkin seeds for color, and without Parmesan so it's more suitable for low histamine readers. All you need is a handful of pantry staples and a blender!
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Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Pasta - use the type that works best for you. There are lots to choose from now, with regular, gluten free, spelt, brown rice and more.
- Cottage cheese - I like to use 4% full fat cottage cheese as it is rich, creamy and, I think, has less of the 'tang' of lower fat versions. It gives a nice creamy pasta sauce.
- Pumpkin seeds - the base of the pesto, make sure to use unsalted and ones that have not been roasted.
- Basil leaves - definitely use fresh basil leaves not dried!
Can I use Nuts instead of Pumpkin Seeds for the Pesto?
You can easily swap the pumpkin seeds for nuts, such as the macadamias I use in my pesto without pine nuts, or use my roasted red pepper pesto to add some veggies in too!
How to Make Cottage Cheese and Pesto Pasta
It's so easy to make this six ingredient pasta as a weeknight dinner, and all you need is a blender to make the sauce!
All the recipe steps are in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Cook your pasta
Cook your pasta according to package instructions in salted water (image 1). Drain in a colander, but make sure to save about half a cup of the cooking water to make the sauce.
Step 2: Make the pesto
Add fresh basil leaves, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, garlic (if using), pasta water and a pinch of salt to a blender cup. Blend to a pesto sauce, adjusting with more oil to thin, if needed (image 2).
Step 3: Blend the cottage cheese
Spoon the cottage cheese into your blender or food processor and whip for 10 seconds or so, until it is light and fluffy (image 3).
Step 4: Make the pasta
Tip your cooked pasta into your pot, spoon in the blended cottage cheese and pesto and stir well. Add more of the reserved pasta water, as needed, and stir until you have a creamy sauce to preference (image 4).
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use a higher fat cottage cheese. I suggest to use a 4% fat cottage cheese as it has a richer, creamier taste and texture.
- Adjust the garlic. Some like a more garlicky flavor, some none at all. Either is fine!
- Reserve the pasta water! This helps us get a creamy pasta sauce from the starch in the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use a small pasta such as penne or fusilli, but you could also use spaghetti if you like!
I don't recommend to freeze the sauce. The cottage cheese will change texture. It's best to make it fresh.
How to Serve
Enjoy the cottage cheese pesto pasta as it is, or serve with some sides:
- Add chicken - for more protein, you can add my air fried thin chicken breasts or stir through some air fryer shredded chicken.
- Fresh salad - for some extra greens, my lamb's lettuce salad is quick and easy and my air fried romaine lettuce is quite fun!
- Veggies - stir through, or serve with, some cooked broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
More Pasta Recipes
Choose from lots of fresh cheese pasta recipes, including my ricotta pesto pasta and mascarpone chicken pasta, as well as these other pasta ideas:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you, so please do leave a star rating and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Cottage Cheese Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pasta
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 3 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove optional
- pinch salt
- ½ cup cottage cheese
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions in salted water, reserving half a cup of the pasta water. Drain in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the pumpkin seeds, basil leaves, olive oil, garlic (if using), 2 tablespoons of pasta water and salt to a blender. Blend to a sauce-like consistency.
- Add your cottage cheese to a blender or food processor and blend so that it becomes smooth and fluffy (takes about 10 seconds).
- Add the pasta back to the pot, spoon in the whipped cottage cheese and pesto and a couple of tablespoons of pasta water. Stir well, adding more pasta water as needed so you have a creamy sauce. Season to preference.
Notes
- I like to use a 4% full fat cottage cheese for a more rich and creamy taste and texture.
- You can use other pesto sauces, including my pesto without pine nuts.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- pasta (wheat), which scores 1. Alternative pastas such as gluten free, spelt, brown rice or quinoa pasta can be used.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- cottage cheese is on the 'well tolerated' section of the SIGHI elimination diet for histamine intolerance and on the 'eat freely' section of the British Dietetic Association histamine list. It does not appear on the SIGHI list for mast cell disorders. Only use if well tolerated.
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