Creamy, High-Protein Pasta Recipe with Cottage Cheese
Makes: 4 Servings
Per Serving: 43g Protein | 426 Cal
A creamy spring pasta might feel like something you’d have to say goodbye to if you’re trying to eat healthier, but that’s just not true. This high-protein pasta primavera is creamy, but light and loaded with tons of healthy, wholesome veggies. It’s going to be your new go-to pasta dish when you’re craving a rich, indulgent meal. It’s all of the good, without the heavy cream or carb crash later on.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy High-Protein Pasta Recipe
Packed with lean protein: Each serving of this creamy high-protein pasta is full of 43 grams of protein, making it a great choice for those looking to hit their macro goals, trying to up their protein intake, or looking for a filling, healthy meal.
Creamy texture without the addition of any heavy cream: The sauce comes together with blended cottage cheese, low-fat milk, and parmesan cheese, making it super creamy, but still light and healthy.
Full of veggies: This pasta is loaded up with tons of fresh veggies like asparagus, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes.
Comes together quickly: This meal can be made in about 30 minutes or less, which can really come in handy when you have a busy week. It’s also fancy enough for a weekend date night and impressive enough for a dinner party.
Versatile and easy to customize: Switch up the veggies by adding zucchini, broccoli, yellow squash, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, or whatever else you like best. You can also add another protein source like chicken or cannellini beans to boost the protein and make this recipe your own.
And if you haven’t tried Kaizen pasta yet, you’re missing out! It’s made with high-protein ingredients to keep you satisfied longer. (Use code PROTEINSNACKQUEEN for 15% off)
Ingredients
1 box protein pasta (I used Kaizen)
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
1 lb asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
1 lb sugar snap peas, halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1.25 cups Parmesan cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk (I used Fairlife fat-free)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once it’s rapidly boiling, generously salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta well and set it aside.
Cook the fresh veggies: Warm olive oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
Blend the creamy sauce: Add the cottage cheese, milk, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Add the garlic to the pan: When the vegetables have started to soften, add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 more minute. Be careful not to let it burn.
Finish the sauce: Add the blended sauce to the pan with the vegetables and stir well to coat. Let the pasta sauce simmer for a few minutes on low until everything is warmed through.
Toss the pasta in the cream sauce: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and veggies and gently toss the pasta mixture to coat it with the creamy pasta sauce.
Finish the pasta: Add a little extra freshly grated parmesan cheese, then serve. If you’d like, you can garnish it with some minced parsley or basil or even a sprinkling of lemon zest.
Nutrition Info (Per Serving - Makes 4 Servings)
Calories: 426
Protein: 43g
Carbs: 37g
Fat: 10g
Swaps & Substitutions
Up the protein: Add some cooked chicken, shredded leftover chicken breast, ground turkey or another ground meat, cooked shrimp, or beans for even more protein.
Cut the dairy: Instead of using dairy cottage cheese, try making this recipe with a dairy-free cottage cheese and use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan.
Add extra vegetables: Want to pack this dish with extra veggies? Add zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh, or add whatever else you like.
Add some heat: Stir some red pepper flakes into the sauce to give it a kick.
FAQs
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You can, but it’ll likely have the best texture the first day. If you’re going to make it ahead of time, let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat, gently reheat the pasta over medium-low heat with an added splash of milk or water (or even a little chicken broth) to help thin the sauce.
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I really love Kaizen pasta because it’s high in protein, but has a really great texture to it. Don’t forget, if you want to try it for yourself, you can use code PROTEINSNACKQUEEN for 15% off your order.
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If you need something gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free protein pasta. Many are naturally gluten-free (made with things like red lentils or chickpeas), but you should make sure to read the ingredient list and nutrition label to make sure it’s safe for you to eat.
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It definitely is. I love keeping cottage cheese on hand to give all kinds of meals an added protein boost. Because it’s creamy and pretty mild, you can easily add it to sauces like this one to make them more nutritious—no one will even know!
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If I want to add other vegetables, consider adding zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, spinach (if it’s baby spinach, wait to add it until the end), or whatever else you like best.
Fresh, packed with veggies, quick, and wholesome, this creamy pasta primavera is a great option for upcoming weeknight dinners or even date nights. Rich and indulgent without any of the heaviness that comes with cream and butter, this is a pasta dinner you can feel good about.
Creamy Pasta Primavera
This high protein pasta recipe is creamy, packed with veggies, and easy to make on busy weeknights. You’ve got to try it!
Ingredients
- 1 box protein pasta (I used Kaizen)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
- 1 lb sugar snap peas, halved
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1.25 cups Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup milk (I used Fairlife fat-free)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once it’s rapidly boiling, generously salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta well and set it aside.
- Cook the fresh veggies: Warm olive oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Blend the creamy sauce: Add the cottage cheese, milk, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Add the garlic to the pan: When the vegetables have started to soften, add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 more minute. Be careful not to let it burn.
- Finish the sauce: Add the blended sauce to the pan with the vegetables and stir well to coat. Let the pasta sauce simmer for a few minutes on low until everything is warmed through.
- Toss the pasta in the cream sauce: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and veggies and gently toss the pasta mixture to coat it with the creamy pasta sauce.
- Finish the pasta: Add a little extra freshly grated parmesan cheese, then serve. If you’d like, you can garnish it with some minced parsley or basil or even a sprinkling of lemon zest.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
426Fat
10 gCarbs
37 gProtein
43 gNutrition info is based off of estimates. They are calculated by taking the ingredients in this recipe and dividing them by the number of servings.
