5-Minute Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce (Gluten-Free)
This deliciously easy cottage cheese pasta sauce is rich, creamy and full of taste, and comes together in just 5 minutes! Naturally gluten-free too. Pair it with fusilli pasta or your favorite short pasta!
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5-Minute Creamy Pasta Sauce
When it’s a busy weeknight and you’re tired and hungry, nothing beats having an easy dinner recipe – and this simple recipe for pasta with cottage cheese sauce is your answer!
Making the sauce itself only takes five minutes, and even including the time to cook the pasta, you can have this meal ready in under 15 minutes! Pasta night cannot get any easier!
(I’ve been experimenting with cottage cheese in the last few months, and I’ve found them to be easy and delicious – and this cottage cheese recipe is no exception!).
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
- Simple Ingredients: You only need a few ingredients to make this pasta sauce (all of which are easily accessible at the local grocery stores!).
- Very Easy to Make: Preparing this cottage cheese tomato sauce is just a matter of blending the ingredients together, nothing complicated at all!
- Naturally Gluten-Free: Best of all, this healthy cottage cheese pasta sauce recipe is 100% gluten-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten intolerances can enjoy it without issues!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for making this easy cottage cheese pasta sauce recipe.
(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
- Pasta: I used gluten-free fusilli pasta to keep this recipe gluten-free. However, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular fusilli pasta instead. Alternatively, feel free to use the pasta of choice that you prefer (you can try different shapes like penne, rigatoni, or farfalle; all pair well with this sauce).
- Cottage Cheese: I recommend using full-fat cottage cheese for a creamier texture.
- Marinara Sauce: I like using my homemade marinara sauce, but store-bought will work just as well.
- Parmesan Cheese: If you don’t have parmesan cheese on hand, other good alternatives are Pecorino Romana, Asiago and Grana Padano.
- Pasta Cooking Water: I like reserving a cup of the water used to cook the pasta (we’ll be blending this starchy pasta water with the other sauce ingredients, and the starch in the water helps to better bind the ingredients together).
- Basil Leaves: I find the taste of fresh basil extremely refreshing, so highly recommend adding it in.
- Garlic:Â Fresh garlic adds a beautiful flavor to the pasta sauce – feel free to add more or less garlic according to how much you enjoy the taste of garlic.
- Chili Flakes: I love sprinkling my cottage cheese sauce pasta with chili flakes (red pepper flakes) for a bit of heat. However, you can leave it out if you don’t take heat.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce:
Cook the Pasta:Â In a large pot of generously salted water, cook the gluten-free fusilli according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.
Combine Sauce Ingredients:Â In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, garlic clove, salt, and a few fresh basil leaves. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Blend Until Smooth:Â Blend the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender for 1 to 2 minutes until you get a smooth and homogeneous sauce. If the sauce is still too thick, add a little bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Combine Pasta and Sauce:Â Place the drained cooked pasta in a large skillet or pot In a large skillet or the same pot you used to cook the pasta, and pour the creamy sauce over the pasta. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the pasta finishes cooking, absorbing some of the sauce.
Garnish and Serve:Â Serve hot, topped with chili flakes and fresh basil leaves, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Pasta Cooking Water:Â I like blending a bit of the starchy water used to cook the pasta with the sauce ingredients (the starch in the water helps to better bind the ingredients together). Alternatively, if you forgot to reserve the pasta water, normal water is fine too.
- Types of Pasta: I like using fusilli pasta to go with the sauce. Alternatively, feel free to use the pasta of choice that you prefer (you can try different shapes like penne, rigatoni, or farfalle; all of these shorter pasta types pair well with this sauce).
- Optional Seasonings: For extra flavor, you can add in a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder or black pepper as well.
- Extra Protein: For meal with even more protein, you can add in a bit of ground beef or ground turkey too.
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce: If you aren’t keen on a tomato-based sauce, feel free to substitute the marinara sauce with heavy cream instead to get cottage cheese alfredo pasta!
- Storing: I recommend storing the sauce in an airtight container if you’re not planning on eating it straight away.
Other Savory Cottage Cheese Recipes to Make:
- Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls
- Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust
- Cottage Cheese Flatbread
- Cottage Cheese and Egg Muffins
- Cottage Cheese and Egg Bake
Other Pasta Dishes to Eat:
Homemade Sauces You’ll Love:
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5-Minute Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This deliciously easy cottage cheese pasta sauce is rich, creamy and full of taste, and comes together in just 5 minutes! Naturally gluten-free too. Pair it with fusilli pasta or your favorite short pasta!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free fusilli pasta
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, or add more as needed
- 5 fresh basil leaves, or more if you prefer
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt, to taste
- Chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of generously salted water, cook the fusilli according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, garlic clove, salt, and a few fresh basil leaves. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water.
- Blend Until Smooth: Blend the ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes until you get a smooth and homogeneous sauce. If the sauce is still too thick, add a little bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water.
- Add Pasta to Skillet: Place the drained cooked pasta in a large skillet or pot In a large skillet or the same pot you used to cook the pasta, and pour the sauce over them. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the pasta finishes cooking, absorbing some of the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Serve hot, topped with chili flakes and fresh basil leaves, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Pasta: I used gluten-free fusilli pasta to keep this recipe gluten-free. However, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular fusilli pasta instead. Alternatively, feel free to use the pasta of choice that you prefer (you can try different shapes like penne, rigatoni, or farfalle; all pair well with this sauce).
Cottage Cheese: I recommend using full-fat cottage cheese for a creamier texture.
Marinara Sauce: I like using my homemade marinara sauce, but store-bought will work just as well.
Parmesan Cheese: If you don’t have parmesan cheese on hand, other good alternatives are Pecorino Romana, Asiago and Grana Padano.
Pasta Cooking Water: I like reserving a cup of the water used to cook the pasta (we’ll be blending this starchy pasta water with the other sauce ingredients, and the starch in the water helps to better bind the ingredients together).
Basil Leaves: I find the taste of fresh basil extremely refreshing, so highly recommend adding it in.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a beautiful flavor to the pasta sauce – feel free to add more or less garlic according to how much you enjoy the taste of garlic.
Chili Flakes: I love sprinkling my pasta with chili flakes for a bit of heat. However, you can leave it out if you don’t take heat.
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 2 mins
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Stovetop
