The Pasta Sauce Shortcut That Starts With Cottage Cheese

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Many recipes use cottage cheese as a secret ingredient these days, and it's easy to see why it's all the rage. It's a protein-packed alternative to other options like mayonnaise or yogurt. You might put cottage cheese in your pancakes, mashed potatoes, or even pasta salad — but what about Alfredo sauce? Cottage cheese is quite the alternative to boost the pasta sauce with varying nutrients — without sacrificing the flavor.

Cottage cheese is a good ingredient for your creamy, homemade Alfredo pasta sauce for a few reasons. Cottage cheese is loaded with protein and nutrients that may make the sauce more filling. It'll also cut the calories and fat levels in Alfredo sauce by replacing the heavy cream and full-fat butter typically used in the American version of the recipe. Even without heavy cream, you don't have to worry about the consistency, because there are ways to boost it with cottage cheese. And to top it off, cottage cheese adds a mildly rich tang, but it won't take away from the parmesan that should still make its way into the sauce.

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There are a few steps to follow before adding cottage cheese to your Alfredo sauce. You can use cottage cheese as part of a three-ingredient Alfredo sauce recipe, or put a spin on copycat Olive Garden Alfredo sauce by substituting the heavy cream. To achieve a creamy consistency, use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to smooth out the chunks that cottage cheese is known for. Add other ingredients, such as Parmesan cheese or milk, to the blender as well. It should only take a couple of minutes to achieve a smooth consistency, depending on how much sauce you're working with.

After blending the cottage cheese base, you'll want to pour it into a pan with the other ingredients — a roux, garlic, and herbs — to thicken and finish the sauce. Feel free to add other ingredients, such as grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, spinach, or sun-dried tomatoes, to the pan before you plate and serve the meal. If you're not convinced about using this secret ingredient, here are some reasons why you might want to eat more cottage cheese, including the nutrient benefits we mentioned before.