High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta (Print Version)

Creamy pasta salad with cottage cheese, fresh veggies, and Italian dressing for a nutritious lunch or side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as rotini, penne, shells, or farfalle

→ Salad Base

02 - 1 cup cottage cheese, small or large curd as preferred
03 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced, optional

→ Dressing

08 - 4 tablespoons Italian dressing, store-bought or homemade
09 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - 1/2 cup shredded carrots
16 - 1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped
17 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool completely, then set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, prepare all vegetables: dice cucumber and bell pepper, halve cherry tomatoes, chop spinach, and if using, finely dice red onion and chop any optional add-ins.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until well blended.
04 - Add cooled pasta, cottage cheese, cucumber, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, spinach, red onion, and any optional add-ins to the bowl with dressing.
05 - Gently toss all ingredients until well combined and evenly coated with dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Stir well before serving and add additional dressing or lemon juice if needed.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer in a bowl but keeps you full for hours because of all that protein hiding in the cottage cheese.
  • Meal prep becomes actually enjoyable when you're not eating the same sad chicken and rice for the fifth time.
  • You can throw together whatever vegetables you have without worrying about the recipe falling apart.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the pasta with cold water or it'll clump together, and don't use hot pasta or it'll wilt everything before you want it to.
  • If you blend the cottage cheese smooth with a little milk first, it becomes a creamy sauce rather than visible curds, which completely changes the texture and looks more like a restaurant dish.
03 -
  • If cottage cheese feels too chunky for you, blend it smooth with a tablespoon of milk and it becomes a creamy dressing that coats every piece of pasta evenly.
  • Make the dressing first and taste it before adding anything else—this is your chance to balance the acid and seasoning perfectly, so you're not trying to fix it later with everything mixed in.
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