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.
Sammy says
Just made this, and it’s phenomenal! I added extra 1% cottage cheese and reduced the milk. This was excellent!! Served over chickpea pasta with shrimp and green onions
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed this pasta dish, Sammy!
Mandy says
Just wondering if I made a batch one evening and then refrigerated the left overs – is it still good the next day warmed up in the microwave or will the sauce start to seperate?
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
You can do that! Just reheat it in 30-second bursts, stirring well between each. You can also reheat the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Enjoy!!
KATHY ADAMS says
What portion is a serving size? Trying to determine the WW points.
KATHY ADAMS says
very tasty! you’d never know its so low in fat. I would like to know how much is a serving size?
Stacy says
Could you double or triple the recipe and freeze it?
Cheryl Malik says
I don’t usually freeze cottage cheese due to the change in texture that occurs, but you can give it a try!
Lalabrucey says
Hi there, I normally wouldn’t comment on such things but this recipe is amazing! Was skeptical at first but omitted cheese and added 1tsp mustard powder and it is sooooo good with leeks as a white sauce. Am doing ww so you have saved my waistline, thanks again!
Cheryl Malik says
Glad this recipe worked for you! Thanks for the great review.
Laurel says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! So easy and so damn delicious!
Christine says
I came across this recipe because I was looking up a way to use up the cottage cheese in my fridge. I used almond milk and shredded Parmesan instead (only options in the fridge) and this turned out delicious!!!
Summer A says
Omg this recipe was fantastic!! My fiancé and I are following weight watchers. We used carbanada fettuccini with chicken and broccoli and your cottage cheese alfredo to top it off and mix it all in. So delicious!! And low in points compared to regular Alfredo. Thank you for sharing!!
Lisa says
I made this for my birthday, wanted to have an alfredo dish without all the guilt. It was amazing!! It was everything I hoped it would be and more! My husband loved it and immediately asked when we can have it again! This will definitely see repeats in our home. I also thought it was super easy and quick – which is perfect for me cause I don’t like cooking. I followed the directions exactly, except at the end I added some broccoli and peas – I guess you could have this on the side but I just threw them in – was delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!