Cottage Cheese Pasta

To try

Servings: 5 · $4/serving · Active: 15 min · Total: 35 min ·

cottage-cheesecottage-cheese-pastaground-turkeyhigh-protein-dinnerhigh-protein-pastacandidateto-tryeasyweeknight

Notes

Added as a to-try option from the validated Skinnytaste source list because it is a high-protein, weeknight-friendly pasta dinner with familiar ingredients.
Imported from structured recipe metadata on 2026-07-02T09:01:08-04:00.
Image saved locally at /images/cottage-cheese-pasta.jpg.

Quantity	Unit	Item	Section	Pantry?
1	pound	93% lean ground turkey (lean ground beef or chicken)	Meat & Seafood	no
11/2	teaspoon	Italian seasoning	Mexican/Italian ingredients	no
1/2	teaspoon	kosher salt	Baking/flour/cake mixes/sweeteners/spices/oils/canned fruit/baking nuts	yes
1/4	teaspoon	garlic powder	Produce	no
		⅛ teaspoon black pepper	Baking/flour/cake mixes/sweeteners/spices/oils/canned fruit/baking nuts	yes
1 1/2	teaspoons	extra virgin olive oil	Canned vegetables/pickles/olives/beans/condiments/dressings/salad toppings/rice/bread crumbs	yes
1/2		yellow onion (finely diced)	Produce	no
4		garlic cloves (smashed )	Produce	no
1/4	teaspoon	crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)	Baking/flour/cake mixes/sweeteners/spices/oils/canned fruit/baking nuts	yes
4.6	oz	tomato paste tube	Pasta/sauces/tomato paste	no
1/3	cup	chicken bone broth	Canned soup/broth/crackers	no
1	cup	2% cottage cheese (Good Culture!)	Cheese Products	no
1/3	cup	low fat milk	Dairy & Eggs	no
1/2	cup	Parmesan cheese (grated plus more for topping)	Mexican/Italian ingredients	no
12	ounces	rigatoni pasta (plain, whole wheat or gluten-free)	Pasta/sauces/tomato paste	no
		fresh basil (for garnish)	Canned vegetables/pickles/olives/beans/condiments/dressings/salad toppings/rice/bread crumbs	no

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the ground turkey, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up until cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer meat to a plate. Wipe the skillet.
While the turkey is cooking, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions to al dente reserving ½ cup of pasta water before draining for thinning out sauce later and set aside.
Heat the skillet over medium heat and add 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until onions are translucent.
Add the tomato paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes and make sure onions and garlic are well coated in tomato paste. It will begin to turn a darker red, and that is what you want. De-glaze with bone broth, stir well, and remove from heat.
Add cottage cheese and milk to a large blender and blend for 15 to 30 seconds until smooth throughout. Add the tomato sauce to the blender and the parmesan cheese and blend until smooth.
Pour it back into the skillet adding some water to the blender and pouring it into the sauce to get it all out, and stir over low heat until cohesive. If needed, add some reserved pasta water 1-2 tablespoons at a time, to get the right texture.
Drain the pasta then add it to the sauce with the ground meat and stir. Top off with additional grated parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!