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Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce with Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Chicken Recipe

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4.2 from 12 reviews

A creamy and high-protein pasta dish featuring a smooth cottage cheese sauce blended with roasted red bell peppers, paired with savory ground chicken and perfectly cooked pasta. This recipe is ready in 30 minutes and offers a flavorful, cheesy meal that is both easy to prepare and customizable to your dietary preferences.

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240 g) cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 8 ounces (225 g) roasted red bell peppers, jarred in brine, drained
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

Main Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken (or substitute ground turkey, beef, or omit for vegetarian)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

Pasta

  • 8 ounces (225 g) dried pasta (gluten-free protein pasta used, but any variety works)

Garnish

  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Extra grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta: Bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. Prepare Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese and drained roasted red bell peppers. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside without heating to avoid curdling.
  3. Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground chicken, seasoning with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until fully browned, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Sauté Garlic: Add minced garlic to the skillet with the chicken and sauté for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
  5. Combine Ingredients: Remove skillet from heat. Add the blended cottage cheese sauce and the cooked pasta into the skillet with the chicken. Gently stir to combine, letting the residual heat warm the sauce without direct heat. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
  6. Serve: Plate the pasta immediately and garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan cheese as desired.

Notes

  • Do not heat the cottage cheese sauce directly to prevent curdling; rely on residual heat from the pan to warm it gently.
  • For a vegetarian version, omit the ground chicken or substitute with plant-based protein.
  • Gluten-free pasta can be used to accommodate dietary restrictions.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and smoked paprika for preferred flavor intensity.
  • If sauce is too thick, reserved pasta cooking water is perfect to thin it without diluting flavor.
  • Author: Maya
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian-American

Find it online: https://recipeteach.com/cottage-cheese-pasta-sauce-with-roasted-red-bell-pepper-and-chicken-recipe/