High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe
A creamy, high-protein pasta sauce made with cottage cheese, turkey sausage, and fresh basil, perfect for a nutritious and flavorful meal ready in just 25 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Protein and Dairy
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup Parmesan (grated)
Pasta
- 10 oz chickpea pasta (or your favorite high-protein pasta)
Meat
- 3/4 lb turkey sausage (cut into bite-size pieces)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Others
- 1 cup tomato sauce (passata)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the chickpea pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
- Prepare sauce base: In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh basil leaves, then blend until smooth. Set this creamy mixture aside.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and chopped garlic, sautéing for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Cook sausage: Add the bite-sized turkey sausage pieces to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Add cottage cheese sauce: Pour the blended cottage cheese sauce into the skillet with the sausage and stir well, allowing it to heat through gently.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, gradually add some reserved pasta water to achieve desired consistency.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan on top if desired.
Notes
- Using chickpea pasta boosts the protein content significantly compared to traditional pasta.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and help the sauce adhere better to pasta.
- Feel free to swap turkey sausage with chicken sausage or a vegetarian sausage alternative.
- This sauce is best served immediately but can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
