If you crave Alfredo pasta but want a healthier, lighter, protein-rich alternative—you're in for a delicious surprise! This luxuriously creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients, including cottage cheese, fresh garlic, and Parmesan, without any heavy cream or butter. It’s packed with protein and comes together in just 5 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce
This sauce is a game-changer for busy weeknights, meal prep, or anytime you’re craving something cozy but don’t want to feel weighed down.
It's easy to overlook cottage cheese as an ingredient to cook with, but it’s a quick way to add creaminess and protein to dishes (like in this Healthy Veggie Breakfast Strata and in these High-Protein Strawberry Waffles).
This alfredo recipe is:
- High in protein – Cottage cheese packs 14g of protein per serving, making this Alfredo naturally filling and nutritious.
- No heavy cream or butter – Just simple, wholesome ingredients.
- Fast & easy – Blend, toss, and serve!
- Customizable – Make it spicy, extra garlicky, or toss in any veggies you like!
Why Cottage Cheese Works in Alfredo Sauce
I know what you’re thinking—cottage cheese in Alfredo? Trust me on this! When blended, cottage cheese transforms into a silky, creamy sauce that mimics the richness of heavy cream.
Here’s why it works:
- Creamy texture – Unlike ricotta (which stays grainy), cottage cheese blends into a smooth sauce.
- High in protein & calcium – It adds nutrients and flavor, without being heavy.
- Much lighter (and easier) than traditional Alfredo - It's far easier (and healthier) than traditional Alfredo sauce!
Nicki's tip: This is a wonderful recipe to play with, adapting the flavors to please your palate. You can experiment with different seasonings in the sauce (for example, try adding chives, dried Italian seasonings or red pepper flakes), and you can toss in any vegetables you like. You can also top the pasta with chicken or shrimp. Make it your own!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cottage Cheese – It's important to use full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest texture (low-fat cottage cheese will break in the sauce). I often use chive-flavored cottage cheese, which adds extra flavor.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds depth of flavor (but feel free to use garlic powder in a pinch).
- Parmesan Cheese – Gives the sauce its classic Alfredo taste.
- Pasta – I love using gluten-free spaghetti, but any pasta works!
- Peas (Optional) – Adds color and sweetness, but feel free to use broccoli, spinach, or asparagus instead.
Want a thicker sauce? Increase the Parmesan or add a teaspoon of cornstarch when blending.
See the full recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Alfredo (Step-by-Step!)
Step 1: Blend the Sauce. In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend the cottage cheese and garlic until completely smooth. That’s it! Your Alfredo sauce is ready.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta & Peas. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook your pasta according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the peas so they cook alongside the pasta. Place in a large bowl.
Tip: Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining—this helps loosen the sauce later!
Step 3: Toss Everything Together. Toss the pasta, peas, sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and reserved pasta water until the pasta is evenly coated and creamy.
Step 4: Serve & Enjoy! Divide the pasta into bowls and sprinkle with extra Parmesan and fresh chives (optional). Serve immediately!
How to Customize This Cottage Cheese Alfredo
One of the best things about this sauce is how easy it is to tweak. Here are some fun variations:
- Spicy Alfredo – Add ½ tsp red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha for a little heat.
- Extra Garlicky – Use roasted garlic for a deeper, mellow flavor.
- Veggie-Packed – Stir in sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach for extra nutrients.
- Extra Protein– Add grilled or rotisserie chicken, shrimp, or crispy tofu on top!
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy your cottage cheese alfredo topped with extra parmesan and fresh herbs, (such as chives, basil or parsley), if you'd like. It's satisfying on its own but also delicious with:
- A fresh green salad – Try this Quick Green Salad.
- Garlic bread – Make your own or buy your favorite store-bought version.
- A side of roasted vegetables – Broccoli, asparagus, or zucchini would be great.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- Storage: Leftovers? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing? This sauce does not freeze well due to the dairy content, so it’s best enjoyed fresh!
Got extra cottage cheese? Try it in these recipes: Healthy Veggie Breakfast Strata, Creamy Strawberry Smoothie, Tartines, or Healthy Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip.
Recipe FAQs
Cottage cheese is the perfect swap for heavy cream in alfredo sauce. Blend the cottage cheese with garlic until smooth, then toss it with hot pasta for an easy, healthy alfredo pasta.
This is best served right after it’s made, when the sauce is loose and creamy. However, leftovers are delicious for lunch the next day.
If your sauce isn’t perfectly smooth, it’s likely not blended long enough. Try using a high-speed blender or add a splash of warm milk to help it emulsify.
Absolutely! Try it as a:
-Sauce for roasted veggies
-Dip for breadsticks or crackers
-Base for a creamy casserole
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Keep cooking with these reader-favorite pasta recipes:
- Best Broccoli Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
- Spaghetti with No-Cook Tomato Sauce
- Kid-Friendly Broccoli Pasta
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Get the Recipe!
Creamy Cottage Cheese Alfredo (High-Protein & 5 Minutes!)
Equipment
- Food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 2 cups (1 16-oz) container cottage cheese (not low-fat)
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguini
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Chopped chives, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and season it with salt.
- In a mini food processor (or high speed blender), process the garlic until finely chopped. Add the cottage cheese, and process until smooth (easiest sauce EVER!!). Scrape the sauce into a large heat-proof bowl.
- Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, scoop out ½ cup of the cooking water (reserve it), and add the peas to the pot. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it (with the peas). Immediately transfer the hot pasta and peas to the bowl with the cottage cheese. Add the parmesan cheese, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add a few splashes of the pasta cooking water, tossing until the sauce is loose enough to evenly coat the spaghetti.
- Twirl the spaghetti into bowls and garnish with more parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of chives, if you’d like. Devour!
Notes
- This cottage cheese alfredo pasta is best served right after it’s made, when the sauce is loose and creamy. However, leftovers are still delicious for lunch the next day.
- Be sure to use regular cottage cheese in this recipe, not low-fat, which could break when the hot pasta is added.
- You’ll need a food processor or high speed blender to blend the creamy sauce. However, you can skip this step if you prefer—the sauce will simply have curds.
- I love using gluten-free spaghetti, but you can use any long pasta shape you like.
- Use cottage cheese in these other wholesome recipes: Healthy Vegetable Breakfast Strata, High-protein Strawberry Waffles, a Creamy Strawberry Smoothie, Build-Your-Own Tartines, and Healthy Veggie Dip.
aupanda says
Hi, do you use fresh parmesan or the one from the tall plastic container?
Can you freeze the sauce and pasta?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi there! I prefer freshly grated Parmesan in this sauce, but you can use pre-grated Parmesan if you prefer. Due to the dairy content, I don’t recommend freezing this sauce or pasta. I hope you enjoy!
Leonard Seales says
Any chance the recipe can include metric measurements for all of us here in Europe?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Leonard! You will need 454g of spaghetti and cottage cheese for this recipe. You can eyeball the peas and parmesan cheese (about 40-45g of parmesan). I hope you enjoy!!
emily says
can you do the sauce by hand instead
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Emily! A food processor is necessary for giving this sauce a creamy texture. If you don't have one you could use a blender, but you will likely need to add a splash of pasta cooking water or milk to thin the sauce. I hope you enjoy!
Ang says
I'm in awe at how simple and yet delicious this is. I love that I can come home from work and have dinner ready in like, 15 mins or less, and it's so filling without being heavy! I usually make it with broccoli instead of peas, and with whole wheat spaghettini. Sometimes I'll add chicken if I have some. Thank you for this amazing recipe! 🙂
Nicki Sizemore says
This just brightened my day. Thank you so much for sharing!
Courtney says
This was really good! I liked that it has protein and it’s healthier than traditional Alfredo. I love Alfredo and eat it too much so it’s good to switch it up with this. I used angel hair and so because the pasta was so thin and cooks so fast I added the peas to the hot water and let it come back to a boil before adding the pasta. Next time I would save more water and add it to the sauce. Because I was using angel hair I was afraid to add too much water and didn’t save enough. And it was a little hard to mix. Next time I might add the water to the sauce first then add the pasta. Also would this work with other shapes like orechetti? That being said. I def want to make this again and just trouble shoot the sauce a little more. Thanks for a great recipe
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so glad you enjoyed Courtney!! You can definitely use other pasta shapes (angel hair is a bit trickier, as you experienced, since it's so fine, but I'm glad you made it work!).
Dani says
The perfect last min lunch for my toddler! Love a protein packed recipe that I can disguise as indulgent
Nicki Sizemore says
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed.
Jenna says
Just made this for lunch! Super easy and delicious! I used chickpea pasta and threw in some arugula before eating
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so glad you enjoyed! I often throw in some spinach or arugula as well - thank you for sharing!
Amanda says
I made this recipe using low fat cottage cheese. I blended the Parmesan in with the cottage cheese in a blender and it held together pretty nicely even after being heated with the pasta. Not sure if the fat from the cheese or the 1/2 tbsp of butter I used to sauté the garlic first before adding it to the cottage cheese helped , but came out amazing!
MB says
Had a homemade, roasted-garlic cottage cheese spread that I used for this recipe. So good and filling.
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
Lily says
Was super easy and delicious! Do you have the calorie count??
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Lily, I’m so glad you enjoyed! Unfortunately I don’t have a calorie count for this recipe.
Mel says
This was awesome! I can't believe how good it turned out! Love love love your recipes, Nicki!
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you so much, Mel!
Wendy says
177 cal; 4g fat (2.5g sat); 31mg cholesterol; 344mg sod; 19.5g carb; 1g fiber; 1g sugar; 15g protein
Destiny says
This was super yummy & so quick to make! Blended everything up super easily & leftovers were even better the next day! Thanks so much❤️
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you for your comment, and I’m so happy you enjoyed!!
Raquel says
Great recipe I always think that less is more and this recipe has few ingredients which is a good thing! Thanks for the recipe it came out great!
Nicki Sizemore says
I’m so thrilled to hear!
Val says
Why can’t it be low fat? I’d make this in a heartbeat if I could use fat free cottage cheese.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi there! Low-fat cheese will separate in the sauce, so in this case it's best to use full-fat.
Kristin says
This recipe did not work for me, the cottage cheese spread clumped in pasta and left a clumpy, watery sauce.
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so sorry to hear you had trouble! What brand and kind of cottage cheese did you use?