# Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta

> Pasta in a silky blended cottage cheese sauce with spicy Italian chicken sausage, sweet peppers, and Calabrian chili. High-protein comfort food without a drop of heavy cream.

Recipe page: https://goodguteats.com/recipes/creamy-cottage-cheese-pasta/

- Makes: 4 servings, 1 bowl each
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Italian-American

Total time: ~50m.

## Nutrition

Per serving, estimated from the ingredients: 675 calories, 44 g protein, 60 g carbs, 29 g fat, 3 g fiber.

## Ingredients (for 4 servings)

- Salt
- 3 cloves Garlic
  - Swap: 1 tbsp Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
  - Tip: Add it after the hard sear so it blooms without scorching, about 30 to 60 seconds. Gut-sensitive cooks can swap in garlic-infused olive oil instead. Source: [Monash University: onion, garlic and infused oils](https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/all-about-onion-garlic-and-infused-oils-on-the-low-fodmap-diet/)
- 8 oz Pasta (Generic)
- 2 cup 4% Cottage Cheese
  - Swap: 2 cup Lactose-Free Cottage Cheese
  - Swap: 2 cup 2% Cottage Cheese
  - Tip: 4% whole-milk cottage cheese is the right call here. The fat carries the lipid-soluble flavor compounds and gives the smooth mouthfeel that makes this read as a vodka-sauce dupe. Low-fat versions blend thinner and read rubbery or dry on the palate. Since we are replacing heavy cream with cottage cheese, the dish is already far lighter in fat than traditional vodka pasta; the few extra grams of fat from 4% are buying you the luxury that makes it work.
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
  - Tip: Grate it fresh and toss it with the hot pasta so it melts into the sauce. Use a microbial-rennet vegetarian parmesan to keep it strictly meat-free.
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Red Bell Pepper
  - Tip: Use medium peppers. Dice into 1/2-inch pieces so they cook through in the time the sausage browns.
- 1 lb Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage
  - Swap: 1 lb Italian Pork Sausage
  - Swap: 1 lb Spicy Turkey Sausage
  - Swap: 1 lb Beef Sausage
  - Tip: Remove casings before cooking. Crumble small for maximum browning surface area.
- ¼ cup Tomato Paste
  - Tip: Caramelization is the unlock here. Once the paste hits the rendered fat, give it 1-2 min until it goes from bright red to brick-red and smells roasted. This is what makes the sauce taste like restaurant vodka pasta instead of jar marinara.
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  - Swap: 1 tbsp Calabrian Chili Paste
  - Tip: Crushed red pepper flakes are the common-pantry default. Start with 1 tsp and add more for more heat. For a fruitier, smokier heat, swap in Calabrian chili paste.

Optional:

- 2 cup Spinach
  - Tip: Two big handfuls wilt down to almost nothing, so do not be shy. Folds in at the end for color.

## Steps

1. Season the peppers with ½ tsp Salt. (~1m)
2. Add 3 cloves Garlic and cook until fragrant. (~1m)
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. (~8m)
4. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. (~1m)
5. Drain the Pasta. (~1m)
6. Add the drained Pasta to the skillet. (~1m)
7. Blend the 2 C Cottage Cheese with 1/2 cup of the pasta water until completely smooth. (~2m)
8. Add grated ¼ C Parmesan Cheese and toss with the hot pasta until it starts to melt. (~1m)
9. Turn the skillet heat OFF. (~1m)
10. Pour in the blended Cottage Cheese and stir to coat. (~1m)
11. Loosen with more of the pasta water if too thick. (~1m)
12. Season with Salt to taste. (~1m)
13. Heat 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (~2m)
14. Add 2 Red Bell Pepper and saute until softened and deeply caramelized, with charred spots on the edges. (~8m)
15. Add 1 lb Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon until browned. (~6m)
16. Drop 8 oz Pasta into the boiling water and cook al dente per package. (~10m)
17. Stir ¼ C Tomato Paste into the pan and cook until deep brick-red. (~3m)
18. Stir in 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes. (~1m)

Recipes, not medical advice.