Cottage Cheese Vodka Sauce for Pasta
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Update to a classic: You guys know how much I love my spicy vodka pasta recipe. This version is very similar but features my favorite secret ingredient, cottage cheese.
- Super satisfying: One of the reasons I love added cottage cheese wherever I can is that it’s very high in protein. My cottage cheese vodka sauce is much more filling than traditional recipes!
- So easy: This dish comes together so quickly and easily with the help of a high-powered blender. Once the pasta is cooked, it shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for vodka sauce with cottage cheese. Scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
Cottage Cheese: High in protein with a creamy and tangy texture! Cottage cheese is obviously the key ingredient here, so I wouldn’t substitute it.
Vodka: Emulsifies the sauce and adds flavor. If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, try vegetable or chicken broth instead.
Butter: Grass-fed is my preference!
Shallots & Garlic: I like to sauté these aromatics in butter to create a flavorful base for my cottage cheese vodka sauce. You could alternatively use onions instead of shallots.
Tomato Paste: To add that nice pink color, plus a tangy, concentrated tomato flavor.
Rigatoni: I love rigatoni — all of those nooks and crannies are perfect for the sauce. You can use your fave!
Seasonings: I kept my cottage cheese vodka pasta simple with salt and pepper to taste, plus some chili flakes for heat. I also use fresh basil as a garnish.
Parmesan: For cooking the sauce and serving.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Vodka Sauce for Pasta
Cook the pasta
Cook the rigatoni to al dente, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce before draining.
Blend the cottage cheese
Add 1/3 cup of the pasta water and the cottage cheese to a blender, pulse until smooth, and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium, then add the garlic and shallot. Cook until softened and add the tomato paste. Simmer until the sauce darkens and caramelizes.
Cook the sauce
Pour in the vodka and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook until the alcohol evaporates, then add the cottage cheese mixture, chili flakes, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted and season to taste.
Add the pasta & serve
Introduce the pasta to the pan with a little more butter. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and you’re left with a smooth and creamy sauce. Season more if needed, garnish, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking the pasta: Remember to cook the noodles al dente so they still have a bit of a bite to them. Overcooking will make the whole dish taste mushy. Also, save some of your pasta water!
- Don’t skip the blending step: You must blend the cottage cheese with your reserved pasta water for a smooth texture. I also know that some people get thrown off by the little curds in cottage cheese — blending it really well improves the consistency so much!
- Sauce consistency: If you find your cottage cheese vodka sauce comes out too thick, add more pasta water little by little until you get the consistency you’re after. To thicken it, let it simmer for a few more minutes, or add some more Parmesan cheese.
How to Serve and Store Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese
Serve your cottage cheese vodka pasta with extra Parmesan cheese and a few sprigs of basil on top while it’s hot and fresh. It also pairs well with garlic bread and a big side salad.
Leftovers will keep well for about 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to let them cool completely first! I don’t recommend freezing vodka sauce with cottage cheese as it will mess with the texture too much.
To reheat, gently warm over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water to keep it from drying out.
Taste And Texture
This Cottage Cheese Vodka Sauce for Pasta and sauce honestly slaps. Creamy and tangy cottage cheese complements the rich and savory flavors in the tomato paste, garlic, shallots, and butter so well. The vodka adds subtle heat, while the added Parmesan brings a nutty and salty flavor. Paired with pasta, cottage cheese vodka pasta is the ultimate main dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cottage cheese melt in sauce?
No, unlike some other types of cheese, cottage cheese does not melt as it has a higher moisture content. This is why the blending step is so important — if you skip it, all of those little cheese curds will remain intact, giving you a lumpy sauce instead of a smooth one.
Can I use a different kind of pasta?
Sure! As mentioned, I like rigatoni as it has plenty of ridges for the sauce to soak into. Other shapes like penne, ziti, rotini, fusilli, or cavatappi are also good options!
Can I make the sauce spicy?
If you prefer a spicier sauce, add more chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper. I only used a teaspoon of chili in my vodka sauce with cottage cheese, so feel free to increase the amount if you love heat!
Other Recipes You May Like:
- Green Goddess Pasta Sauce
- Baked Pumpkin Pasta
- Beet Pasta Sauce
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Lemon Pasta (Without Sauce)
If you make this Cottage Cheese Vodka Sauce for Pasta, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest!
Cottage Cheese Vodka Sauce for Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2 shallots (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp vodka
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1-1/2 tsp chili flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups rigatoni (measure dry)
- 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese (+ more for serving)
- Fresh basil For garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al a dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- In a blender, add in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water, and cottage cheese. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat the butter then add in the shallot and cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and mix to combine.
- Add in the tomato paste next, and cook until the sauce is darker and a bit caramelized, about 2-3 minutes.
- Introduce the vodka and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to remove anything at the bottom, cook it until it’s evaporated about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the cottage cheese mixture, the chili flakes, and 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in pasta and mix until well combined. If you prefer a more thinner sauce, you can add a touch more pasta water until you’ve reached the right consistency. Taste and season if needed.
- Serve warm with more Parmesan cheese and fresh basil as a garnish
Notes
- Cooking the pasta: Remember to cook the noodles al dente so they still have a bit of a bite to them. Overcooking will make the whole dish taste mushy. Also, save some of your pasta water!
- Don’t skip the blending step: You must blend the cottage cheese with your reserved pasta water for a smooth texture. I also know that some people get thrown off by the little curds in cottage cheese — blending it really well improves the consistency so much!
- Sauce consistency: If you find your cottage cheese vodka sauce comes out too thick, add more pasta water little by little until you get the consistency you’re after. To thicken it, let it simmer for a few more minutes, or add some more Parmesan cheese.
I am excited about this but my vodka sauce came out with a weird texture, not smooth. I did make my cottage cheese mixture earlier in the day and put it in the fridge so maybe that’s why it has a weird texture. Any suggestions?
Hi Jessica! Was your cottage cheese mixture smooth prior to putting it in the fridge?
Hi! Loved this recipe I make vodka sauce all the time but with heavy cream and I wanted to make it more high protein. So I blended the cottage cheese with reserved pasta water and when I put the blended cheese sauce with the caramelised tomato paste and aromatics it started separating and didn’t really emulsify into a nice sauce, it tasted fine but the texture was just little bit off. Overall loved the recipe but please give me some suggestions!!
Hi! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🤍 My guess is that the cottage cheese mixture may have gotten a little too hot when it was added to the pan. Cottage cheese can sometimes separate or become grainy if it’s exposed to high heat, especially if the sauce is simmering aggressively.
A few things I’d try next time:
• Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.
• Add a little more reserved pasta water when blending to help create a silkier sauce.
• Lower the heat before stirring in the cottage cheese mixture.
• Once the cottage cheese is added, gently warm the sauce rather than letting it boil or simmer hard.
The acidity from the tomato paste can sometimes make dairy-based sauces a little finicky too, so keeping the heat low is usually the biggest key. I’m so happy it still tasted good, and I appreciate you sharing your experience!