Cottage Cheese Alfredo For Two – The Easy High Protein Pasta Dinner

If you love the creamy flavor of classic Alfredo sauce but want to make a lighter, protein-packed version, you are going to love this Cottage Cheese Alfredo For Two. It has a rich and creamy texture, plenty of Parmesan flavor, and best of all, it is incredibly easy to make.

Instead of making traditional Alfredo sauce with a large amount of butter and heavy cream, this recipe uses cottage cheese as the base of the sauce. Once blended, the cottage cheese becomes incredibly smooth and creamy, making it perfect for coating warm pasta.

And don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of the texture of cottage cheese. Once it is blended with Parmesan cheese, garlic and seasonings, you won’t even know that the curds were ever there.

Best of all, this recipe is made specifically for two people. There is no huge pot of pasta or bowl of leftover sauce to deal with for the rest of the week. It makes just enough for two generous servings, making it perfect for couples, empty nesters or anyone who simply wants a smaller portion.

And from start to finish, you can have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!

Why Use Cottage Cheese For Alfredo Sauce?

Although cottage cheese might seem like an unusual ingredient for Alfredo sauce, it actually works extremely well.

Cottage cheese has a mild flavor, which means it easily takes on the flavors of the garlic and Parmesan cheese. More importantly, when it is put into a high-speed blender or food processor, the curds disappear and the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.

It is also naturally high in protein. That makes it an easy way to add more protein to a pasta dish without having to add meat.

However, just like when making a traditional Alfredo recipe, you can certainly add chicken, shrimp or another protein if you prefer.

So you may be wondering what type of cottage cheese is best to use. For the creamiest results, I prefer to use full-fat cottage cheese. Although low-fat cottage cheese will work, the sauce won’t be quite as rich.

What Type Of Pasta To Use

Fettuccine is the obvious choice when making Alfredo. The long, flat noodles provide plenty of surface area for the creamy sauce to cling to.

However, you don’t have to use fettuccine.

Linguine and spaghetti both work well. You can even use short pasta such as penne, rotini, rigatoni or bow tie pasta.

Because this is a recipe for two, you will need only about 4 ounces of dry pasta. Although that might not look like much when you measure it out, the pasta will nearly double in size as it cooks.

Cottage Cheese Alfredo For Two

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces fettuccine pasta
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook according to the package directions until al dente.

Before draining the pasta, reserve at least 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the noodles and set them aside.

While the pasta cooks, add the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and milk to a high-speed blender or food processor.

Blend until the mixture is completely smooth. Depending on your blender, this may take 30-60 seconds.

Heat the olive oil or butter in a medium skillet over low to medium-low heat.

Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into the skillet. Heat gently, stirring frequently, just until the sauce is warmed through.

Do not allow the sauce to boil. Excessive heat can cause the cottage cheese sauce to separate or become grainy.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until the noodles are completely coated.

If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

The Secret To Smooth Cottage Cheese Alfredo

The most important step in this recipe is blending the cottage cheese until it is completely smooth.

If you simply stir cottage cheese into the pasta, you will obviously still have the small curds throughout the sauce. Although it will taste good, it won’t have that traditional smooth Alfredo consistency.

A high-speed blender works best, but a standard blender or food processor will work as well. Just give it enough time to break down the cottage cheese completely.

You should end up with a mixture that looks more like a thick cream sauce than cottage cheese.

Another important tip is to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese whenever possible.

Pre-shredded and grated cheeses often contain anti-caking ingredients that can prevent the cheese from melting smoothly. Fresh Parmesan melts much better and gives the sauce a stronger, more authentic flavor.

Don’t Overheat The Sauce

This is probably the biggest difference between making traditional Alfredo sauce and cottage cheese Alfredo.

Once the blended sauce goes into the skillet, you only need to warm it.

Keep the burner on low or medium-low heat and stir the sauce frequently. You do not want it bubbling rapidly or coming to a boil.

High heat can cause the proteins in cottage cheese to tighten and separate. Instead of a creamy sauce, you may end up with a slightly grainy texture.

Once the sauce is warm, add the hot pasta and toss everything together.

The heat from the pasta itself will help warm the sauce as well.

Don’t Forget The Pasta Water

Before draining your pasta, be sure to scoop out some of the cooking water. Pasta water is one of the easiest ways to adjust the consistency of Alfredo sauce without diluting the flavor too much.

Because the water contains starch released from the pasta as it cooks, it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.

Start with just a tablespoon or two. Toss the pasta and then add more if necessary.

The sauce may initially seem a little thin, but it will thicken slightly as it sits and coats the noodles.

Adding Chicken Or Shrimp

Although Cottage Cheese Alfredo For Two makes a filling meal on its own, it is also a great base recipe that you can customize.

For chicken Alfredo, add about one cup of sliced or diced cooked chicken. This is a great way to use leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken.

You can also quickly cook a small chicken breast in a skillet, slice it and place it over the pasta before serving.

Shrimp is another excellent option. Cook 6-8 large shrimp in a skillet with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Then place them over the finished Alfredo pasta.

You could even add cooked salmon, especially if you have a small portion left over from another meal.

Adding Vegetables

Vegetables are another easy way to turn this simple pasta into a complete meal.

Broccoli is one of my favorite additions. You can add small broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water during the final few minutes of cooking.

Spinach is even easier. Stir a handful or two of baby spinach into the skillet right before adding the pasta. It will wilt quickly from the heat of the sauce.

Mushrooms, peas, asparagus and roasted red peppers are other good options.

Just remember that this is a smaller recipe designed for two people, so you don’t need to add a lot.

What To Serve With Cottage Cheese Alfredo

Because Alfredo pasta is fairly rich and filling, I like to keep the side dishes simple.

A small garden salad with a light vinaigrette makes a great pairing. Roasted broccoli, asparagus or green beans are also excellent choices.

And of course, you can’t go wrong with garlic bread.

Although if you are trying to keep the meal a little lighter, skip the bread and serve the pasta with a larger portion of vegetables instead.

Storing Leftovers

Because this recipe is designed for two servings, hopefully you won’t have many leftovers.

However, if you do, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When reheating, add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce. Heat it slowly in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently.

You can also microwave the pasta in short intervals, stirring between each one.

Just remember that cottage cheese Alfredo sauce doesn’t respond well to extremely high temperatures, so gentle reheating is best.

Once you see how easily cottage cheese transforms into a smooth and creamy sauce, you might find yourself using it in all sorts of pasta recipes.

And when you can have a creamy, protein-packed pasta dinner for two on the table in about 20 minutes, it is hard to beat!

Enjoy! Mary

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