This actually turned out surprisingly easy and surprisingly good! Pretty healthy, too, I added enough fresh spinach I actually did get 8 servings out of a pound of pasta; so it worked out to only 325 calories for a main dish for dinner!
The original recipe had it labeled an ‘Alfredo,’ which is a real pet peeve of mine - proper Alfredos have three ingredients in my opinion, those being cream, butter, and Parmesan! - so you notice I have re-labeled it. I am not real original when it comes to recipe titles, but it’ll do.
Basically I just tossed all the ingredients for the sauce in the blender while the pasta water was heating, and then put the sauce from the blender on the stove to heat. I struggled a bit with it sticking and scorching while I was heating it, so I am recommending you heat the sauce in the microwave rather than on the stove! Either will do, though.
I tossed this sauce with a pound of Tinkyada fettuccine and a bag of fresh spinach, wilted.
PROTEIN COTTAGE CHEESE PASTA WITH SPINACH
16oz pasta (I used Tinkyada fettuccine)
1 bag fresh spinach, however much you like (just remember it cooks down!)
24oz fat free cottage cheese
1C milk (I used 2%)
2oz shredded Parmesan (roughly 2/3C)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3T butter
(You may need some cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I did not.)
Put the pasta water on to boil. Wilt the spinach, in batches if necessary, covered in a large microwave safe bowl. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
In a blender or food processor, pulse the cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, and butter until smooth. Heat the sauce either in the microwave or to a simmer on the stove (if on the stove, stir carefully to avoid scorching). Use a bit of cornstarch mixed with a few tablespoons of milk to thicken the sauce, if necessary.
Toss pasta, spinach, and sauce together. You can top it with parsley or crushed red pepper flakes, depending on preference, if you like.
Servings: 8
Calories per serving: 325
