cottage cheese cacio e pepe

Noodles & Pasta

Cottage Cheese Cacio e Pepe

This Cottage Cheese Cacio e Pepe is a creamy, protein-boosted twist on the Italian classic. Made with blended cottage cheese, Parmesan, and black pepper, it comes together in under 20 minutes—no cream needed!

Ingredients

8 ounces protein spaghetti (barilla protein+, or your favorite gluten-free pasta)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (i love good culture)
1 clove garlic (peeled and smashed)
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese (freshly grated )
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for garnish)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more for garnish)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
In the meantime, add the cottage cheese, garlic, pecorino, parmesan, and 1/2 cup pasta water to a high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth.
Add the sauce to a skillet and heat over medium. Once the sauce is warm but not bubbling, add the pepper and the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add 1/4 cup of the pasta water and stir. If the sauce seems too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. It should be creamy and smooth.
Serve topped with extra parmesan cheese and plenty of black pepper.