Cottage Cheese Alfredo
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This cottage cheese alfredo is a lower fat, lower calorie version of the rich and creamy pasta favorite! One of the best cottage cheese recipes, it’s an easy dinner to make and the best part? You’d never even know it’s healthy.
Show of hands: who hates alfredo?
You.. there, in the back. GET OUT. You are but a robot amongst us sent to destroy the empire.
The alfredo empire of deliciousness, that is. Uh… I digress. Another show of hands: who loves the fat and calories in a bowl of creamy, rich fettuccine alfredo?
You.. there, in the back. GET OUT. I hate you for your metabolism.
Alfredo has always been one of my favorite pasta sauces, but I tend to reserve it for a special occasion treat, due to the high amounts of butter, cream, and cheese. And then… I found this. We typically associate cottage cheese with gummy bites at an assisted-living center or our tiny-ass dog Magnolia, whom we were instructed by the vet to feed cottage cheese mixed into her dry food so she’d put on some pounds (11, going on 12! But we still tell everyone she’s a week-old lab, for the sake of O’s masculinity). But think again, people! Blended with some other ingredients, it transforms into a luxurious, creamy sauce, at a fraction of the guilt and hippyness.
Why This Recipe Is So. Dang. Good.
- It’s wonderfully rich and creamy, thanks to the cottage cheese, but lower in fat and calories. Also thanks to the cottage cheese!
- This cottage cheese recipe comes together really, really quickly, and you could make it almost entirely during the time your pasta is boiling.
- You can add all sorts of different spices or seasonings to this cottage cheese alfredo. It’s super versatile.
But be warned. You might have to fend off dozens of requests a day for this stuff. I’m not lying.
The first time I made this, O ate his bowl — and subsequently licked the bowl clean — in total silence.
“He hates it,” I told myself. “Oh well. It’s still so much better for us, and I think it’s pretty damn delicious.”
An hour later.
“That was the best thing I’ve ever had,” O spouts, unprovoked. “Can we have it again tomorrow?”
No. No, we can’t. But “tomorrow,” he repeated the question. I repeated the answer. I need variety, dammit! No matter how good something is. The day after “tomorrow,” he repeated the question, and I, the answer. And so on, until I caved and whipped it up the next week. And then the week after that as a sorry-I’m-going-to-St.-Louis-without-you-and-leaving-you-to-fend-for-yourself dish. I’m not exaggerating in claims of how insanely good this stuff is.
Update: Now that O and I have been married for what feels like a hundred years and have a kid, I have a new anecdote to verify the deliciousness of this cottage cheese recipe. My kid freaked out because somewhere along the line that day he was promised “mac and cheese,” and I kind of thought this would work for that particular request. He wailed a bit but finally tried it. My picky, picky toddler then claimed,
“I love it so much. I want to eat it on Wednesday. I want to eat it on Monday. I want to eat it a lot of times when we come home.“
So… if that doesn’t tell you something about this cottage cheese alfredo, I don’t know what would.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you blend the cottage cheese alfredo mixture until it’s very smooth.
- This cottage cheese recipe is best with about half a pound of pasta. If you don’t mind a less saucy pasta, upping your pasta poundage is fine!
- Simmer your sauce just until it’s thickened – you don’t want to reduce it too much!
Variations
- Instead of basil and oregano, sprinkle in a bit of Cajun seasoning and serve with blackened chicken, tomatoes, and green onions for a Creole pasta.
- Use cultured cottage cheese to make this cottage cheese recipe even healthier.
- Try arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch if you have to or want to avoid corn.
If You Love This Recipe, You’ll Also Love…
- Whole30 Tuna Zoodle Casserole
- Creamy Pumpkin Sage Alfredo with Ronzoni Gluten Free Penne
- Fried Zucchini Basil Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Keto Alfredo Sauce
And if you’re looking for a wonderful version of classic Fettuccine Alfredo, this recipe from Erren’s Kitchen is fantastic!
Cottage Cheese Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk use skim for low-fat
- ½ cup cottage cheese use low-fat cottage cheese to make this recipe low-fat
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese
- dried basil to taste
- dried oregano to taste
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
- cooked pasta of choice
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients, except basil, into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture in a small saucepan and add basil and oregano. Cook over medium-low heat until heated through and smooth. Add more basil, oregano, salt, or pepper (or other seasonings), to taste.
- Let it cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cooked pasta right before serving and let it soak in for a couple of minutes. Top with meat or veggies as desired; garnish with fresh chopped parsley, optional. Serve immediately.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Cynthia says
This is by far the easiest, fastest, tastiest, and healthiest homemade Alfredo sauce I’ve ever made. Thank you for a delicious recipe that will definitely hit the rotation several times monthly. Doubled the sauce for 1/2 lb box whole wheat spaghetti. Served with broccoli, rotisserie chicken, and baguette.
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
That sounds like a wonderful meal! Thank you so much, Cynthia!
Mari says
This was sooo good!! We love Alfredo but hate the nauseating feeling we usually get after eating it. My kids really enjoyed it. We added a bag of frozen broccoli to the pasta and I skipped the cornstarch and subbed pasta water to help thicken it up. This will be my new go to from now on.
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Thank you so much, Mari! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it so much!
Erika Luening says
Sooooo good!!
Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed the alfredo! Thanks for sharing, Erika! 😊
Michelle Leach says
Yum. I used stock onstead of milk to reduce calories further. So darn good.
Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed, Michelle! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Julia says
This is glorious. I’m not an alfredo fan usually, but appreciate the ease of a jar or frozen meal with it. This is AT LEAST as good as store bought and presumably much healthier.
I put it on whole wheat pasta (the sauce is so good you wouldn’t even notice it wasn’t white pasta).
I added a little red pepper and cayenne because I like spice and then just reduced it until it was the texture I like.
Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Julia! 😊
Jake says
New staple in our family! Used fresh garlic and added some lemon zest. Can you freeze the sauce?
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Hey, Jake! So happy y’all enjoyed this one so much! While you can freeze the sauce, I don’t really recommend it – the taste and texture of dairy products can change during the freezing & defrosting processes, especially with cottage cheese.
Nina says
It was correct, outstanding dish. Toddler ate it so fast I’m surprised she didn’t make herself sick. I used real garlic instead of powder, though.
Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad it was toddler-approved! That’s always a tough one! Thank you for sharing, Nina! 🙂
Faye says
This was so easy to make! Very delicious and a big hit with my family. I added shrimp and chicken to increase the protein. This will be my go to recipe going forward.
Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
Love the addition of the shrimp and chicken! Glad it was a hit with your family! Thanks for sharing, Faye! 🙂
Patty says
This was delicious. I added frozen peas and low-fat turkey breast to up my protein. It will definitely be part of my go-to recipe list.
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Delicious. Thanks so much, Patty!
Bre Korth says
Absolutely delicious.
Molly | 40 Aprons Team says
Great! Thanks so much for your review, Bre!