This cottage cheese Alfredo is so creamy and packed with 15g of protein per serving all thanks to the blended cottage cheese Alfredo sauce!
Cottage cheese is a high-protein, miracle cheese that we just can’t get enough of. You won’t believe how easy it is to blend up the Alfredo sauce with just a few ingredients of cottage cheese, sauteed garlic and onion, and a splash of heavy cream.
Obsessed with cottage cheese recipes? These cottage cheese pancakes, protein mac and cheese, cookies and cream cottage cheese bark, and cottage cheese ice cream are tasty recipes that are high in protein.
What You Need to Make Cottage Cheese Alfredo
- Cottage cheese: we recommend using 2% or whole milk cottage cheese. Nonfat cottage cheese will work, but the water content will be higher.
- Heavy cream: a little bit of heavy cream is used to both thin out and to thicken the cottage cheese Alfredo sauce.
- Pasta water: don’t forget to set aside some pasta water to add to the pasta sauce. It is used to thicken the pasta sauce and to encourage the sauce to bind to the pasta.
- Grated parmesan: every Alfredo dish needs a little bit of parmesan.
- Fettucini: any long noodle will work for this recipe.
- High-speed blender: a Vitamix or the Beast are our two favorite blenders. Just be sure you have a high-powered blender that will easily cream the ingredients together.
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
When making the cottage cheese Alfredo sauce, be sure you blend the ingredients long enough (2-3 minutes) to ensure all the ingredients are homogenous. This is important so that when the sauce is warmed up it doesn’t not separate.
We kept this dish basic with just pasta and sauce. If you’d like to add vegetables, steamed broccoli is a great addition. Spice things up with red pepper flakes, too!
FAQ
What type of cottage cheese should I use?
We highly recommend using 2% or whole milk cottage cheese for this recipe.
Can I use gluten-free pasta?
Yes, any type of past will work for this recipe.
What if my sauce is too thick or too thin?
If the pasta sauce is too thin, simmer the sauce over low heat until it is reduced. Remove from heat until it thickens. Then, toss with the pasta.
If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional pasta water to thin out the sauce.
If you are storing leftovers where the pasta and the sauce are already mixed together, let the pasta cool completely and store it in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Since this cottage cheese Alfredo is a creamy and substantial pasta dish, we recommend serving it alongside a crunchy salad or adding protein to the top.
If you want to add an animal protein to this pasta add this delicious crunchy pan-fried chicken or sauteed shrimp.
This apple burrata salad, chicken Caesar salad, or an easy cucumber salad are great salad options!
- 8 oz. fettucini pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- ½ large white onion minced
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup cottage cheese 2% or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons starchy pasta water
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2-3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the onion and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Set aside ½ cup of pasta water before straining the pasta. Rinse with water and set aside.
Add the cottage cheese, heavy cream, remaining salt, and the onions and garlic to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of pasta water to the blender and blend on high for an additional 2 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly and almost frothy.*
Transfer the pasta back into the pot and pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and toss. Heat over low heat until it reaches the desired temperature.
Top with fresh parsley, grated parmesan, salt, and cracked pepper.
- It is important that the cottage cheese mixture is blended for 2 minutes. It incorporates all ingredients that prevent the sauce from curdling later.
- To avoid curdling, do not heat the pasta over high heat.
Calories: 377kcal Carbohydrates: 45g Protein: 15g Fat: 15g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 3g
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
About Linley Hanson
Linley has played an important role in the success of Fit Foodie Finds over the last 10 years. She is an incredible home cook and has an amazing palate. She is the brain behind our recipes and has spent thousands of hours developing, testing, and perfecting the delicious meals you see here at Fit Foodie Finds.
