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15 Pasta Recipes With Cottage Cheese: Easy Dinner Ideas

15 Pasta Recipes With Cottage Cheese: Easy Dinner Ideas

Cottage cheese is highly versatile, easy to use, and tasty; explore this list of 15 easy pasta recipes with cottage cheese and find your new pasta favorite!

Cottage cheese, or pot cheese, is famous for its small curds and salty and milky taste.

It also adds a mellow creamy, tangy flavor and a soft texture to dishes. 

This dairy is known to be one of the first cheeses produced in America, dating back to the 1800s when immigrants first introduced the process of fresh cheesemaking in the country. 

Today, billions of pounds of cottage cheese are consumed annually in the US alone. 

Cottage cheese’s long history can be attributed to its simple and efficient preparation method. 

It’s made by mixing pasteurized milk with a lactic starter and rennet. 

Resting the blend lets the starter work magic in separating the milk curds from the whey.

Once the curds are cut, drained, and rinsed, we have cottage cheese!

You can even make it home with milk, vinegar, and salt. 

Cottage cheese is one of the most consumed cheeses in the United States, with the American population eating billions of pounds annually.

It’s a versatile cheese found in many different recipes and cuisines. 

Pasta dishes are one of the best ways to use cottage cheese.

Here are 15 cottage cheese pasta recipes you can make right now. 

Tuscan Chicken Pasta is hearty and flavorful.  

We can’t get over the gorgeous green color of Cottage cheese pesto!

#14 is a veggie dish that even the kids will love!

Let’s kick off this list with a 20-minute pasta recipe. 

It’s simple to make, but the results will make you crave more.

Tomato gives a ton of sweet and umami flavors that add depth to the dish without using meat.

A mix of basil, oregano, and parsley makes this dish herby and bright.

Balsamic vinegar is not your everyday ingredient for a pasta dish, but it works so well!

Its bright sweetness and acidity wake up the flavors of the whole dish. 

The recipe uses a food processor to blend the cottage cheese and milk, but you can skip this step if you want a chunkier sauce.

This recipe is an excellent way to use extra spinach in your fridge. 

Creamy cheese and spinach make for a mouthwatering rustic pasta sauce.

Spinach has a mild sweet taste that complements the saltiness of the cheese. 

The spinach is sauteed before adding the mozzarella and cottage cheese.

Once the cheese melts, it binds with the greens to create a thick sauce.

This recipe doesn’t need any cream.

The two kinds of cheese give the dish all the milky flavor and creamy texture it needs.

What’s better than a dish with cheese?

One with three types of cheese!

This recipe uses parmesan, mozzarella, and cottage cheese to create a delectable sauce overload.

The cheesy surface melts and browns in the oven while the inside stays slightly moist and chunky.

Sour cream adds a rich milky flavor and a bright tang to the sauce.

It also helps make the sauce more spreadable in consistency.

If you’re out of sour cream, greek yogurt and other alternatives will do just fine.

Pasta dishes are some of the most effortless to make, even for beginner home cooks.

This recipe makes a pasta dish even more foolproof by removing boiling pasta from the equation. 

This recipe requires zero pans because you’ll do all of the cooking in a baking dish, which also doubles as a serving container—talk about a low-mess recipe!

Dijon mustard provides the sauce with a sharp, tangy, and slightly spicy flavor.

Its assertive flavor works well with the delicate taste of milk.

Did you know that you can make gnocchi from potatoes?

Making gnocchi from scratch is easier than you’d expect.

All it takes is a bit of practice and elbow grease.

The fresh, soft gnocchi pillows you get at the end make it all worth it. 

This recipe adds cottage cheese to the potato dough for a tangy flavor.

Earthy, herby notes from the parsley and chive sauce complement the milky gnocchi.

Beautiful pasta shells filled with a rich spinach sauce and covered with marinara. 

It takes over one hour to make, but the good news is that after a 10-minute preparation, the oven does all the work!

Baking in a hot oven allows the dish to develop complex roasted flavors throughout the surface.

This concentrates the savory umami of the marinara sauce and gently browns the parmesan and cheddar cheese topping.

This recipe makes for six servings, so it’s an excellent option for a special family dinner.

One-pan dishes take all the stress and mess out of home cooking.

This Macaroni Lasagna recipe might be your next go-to weeknight meal!

The meaty ground beef and tomato sauce cover every pasta piece evenly, making for an all-around luscious dish. 

Cream cheese is added to the cottage cheese for a sharp, tangy, and creamy flavor bomb!

Parmesan adds intense umami and nutty flavors to the dish.

There’s nothing like a warm bowl of pasta and bacon to pick you up after a tiring day.

Rendering out the bacon fat is key to the flavor of this dish.

Once the fat melts, it provides a ton of rich, meaty, and savory notes to the sauce.

Cooking the bacon on low heat also allows time for it to crisp up, which makes eating even more satisfying. 

Using the creaminess and acidity of the sour cream can balance the umami of bacon

This next dish is a picture-perfect homemade masterpiece that will have your guests craving more. 

The lively yellow-orange color of the sauce pops on the plate!

The gorgeous hue comes from a combination of yellow pumpkin puree and bright red tomatoes.

Pumpkin also gives the sauce a thick texture and a sweet flavor.

The pumpkin flavor goes well with the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes.

Mixing torn basil leaves into the sauce adds a touch of herby flavor and aroma.

Chicken breast is one of the leanest proteins you can find.

It’s a versatile ingredient because of its subtle meaty flavor profile, which won’t compete for attention with any other component. 

Sun-dried tomatoes are an absolute flavor bomb.

It takes the sweet, savory, and umami notes of tomatoes and intensifies them by removing the water content.

Greek yogurt improves the sauce’s texture and wakes up the flavors with its pleasant tang.

This recipe is a cheat code for dinner.

The trick is to make a large batch and throw the leftovers in the freezer.

Tossing the pasta noodles in butter allows them to absorb the rich and creamy butter flavor.

Sprinkling mozzarella cheese on the surface before baking offers the casserole a nice crispy top.

The dish uses ground beef, but you can use leftover meatballs if you have some in your fridge.

Looking for a fresh salad recipe for a casual family gathering?

This recipe has your back!

Chickpeas have a soft, starchy texture that pairs well with crunchy onions and juicy cherry tomatoes.

Their earthy flavor is ideal with fresh tomatoes and creamy feta cheese.

You can serve this salad as a side, but it can also be a light meal since it’s pretty filling.

Going green never tasted this good. 

This green sauce is a traditional pesto made with basil leaves.

Blending the basil releases its essential oils, which gives the sauce a mellow herby flavor.

Grated parmesan cheese seasons the dish with just the right saltiness and umami.

You can enjoy this dish with sauteed mushrooms for an additional meaty flavor.

This garden-fresh dish is just what you need for a fantastic backyard meal. 

It’s a medley of vibrant colors from bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach.

Tomatoes add a nice acidic flavor that works well with the light sweetness of the bell peppers.

Veggies can be tricky to serve when you’ve kids, but the meaty pancetta in this recipe might help you.

This recipe is a delicious combination of nutty ingredients!

Almond milk’s nutty and sweet flavor plays well with the saltiness of the cheese.

A bit of nutmeg gives the sauce a delicately warm and savory taste.

Chickpea pasta complements the other ingredients with its distinct nutty flavor.

If you don’t have some in your pantry, you can get away with using regular pasta.

You can save loads of time by making the sauce in advance.

The bottom line

Cottage cheese can be a home cook’s best friend if you know how to use it right.

It’s known for its tangy undertones but has a mild flavor overall, which is vital for its versatility.

Its easily meltable soft texture makes it great for pasta sauces.

You can find 15 tempting pasta recipes with cottage cheese in this list to get you started!

15 Easy Pasta Recipes With Cottage Cheese

15 Easy Pasta Recipes With Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is highly versatile, easy to use, and tasty; explore this list of 15 easy pasta recipes with cottage cheese and find your new pasta favorite!

Ingredients

  • Cottage Cheese Tomato Sauce
  • Cottage Cheese Spinach Pasta
  • 3-Cheese Pasta Bake
  • Creamy No-Boil Macaroni & Cheese
  • Cottage Cheese Gnocchi
  • Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta Bake
  • One-Pan Macaroni Lasagna
  • Hungarian Cottage Cheese Noodles With Bacon
  • Pumpkin Marinara Pasta With Whipped Cottage Cheese
  • Tuscan Chicken Pasta
  • Baked Spaghetti
  • Pasta Salad With Chickpeas & Cottage Cheese
  • Cottage Cheese Pesto
  • Pasta With Cottage Cheese & Vegetables
  • Cottage Cheese Alfredo Chickpea Pasta

Instructions

  1. Take a look at our Pasta Recipes With Cottage Cheese list!
  2. Bring the ingredients to create a new favorite dish.
  3. Woohoo! You created a home-cooked meal. 
  4. Comment your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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