Description
This Sun-Dried Tomato Cottage Cheese pasta recipe offers a creamy, flavorful sauce combining tangy sun-dried tomatoes and rich cottage cheese, blended with garlic and Parmesan for a smooth texture. Tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and fresh basil, this dish is an easy, delicious meal perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained or rehydrated if dry)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Pasta
- 14 ounces dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Additional grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the dried pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente, which usually takes 8-12 minutes depending on the pasta shape. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta thoroughly.
- Prepare Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, cottage cheese, olive oil, peeled garlic cloves, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Blend the mixture until it turns smooth and creamy, ensuring no large chunks remain.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the prepared sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference by adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to enhance the flavor.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Return the drained pasta back to the cooking pot. Pour the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce over the pasta and toss well to coat all the noodles evenly. Gradually add reserved pasta cooking water, a little at a time, to loosen the sauce until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve the sauced pasta immediately, garnished generously with freshly chopped basil and additional grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor and visual appeal.
Notes
- If using dry sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before blending to soften.
- You can substitute cottage cheese with ricotta for a milder flavor.
- Adjust the amount of olive oil for a richer or lighter sauce based on preference.
- Reserve pasta water is key to adjusting sauce texture; add slowly to avoid thinning out the sauce too much.
- For a vegan version, substitute cottage cheese and Parmesan with plant-based alternatives and omit crushed red pepper for less heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: sun-dried tomato pasta, cottage cheese sauce, creamy pasta recipe, Italian vegetarian pasta, quick pasta dinner
