Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad
Description
This creamy cottage cheese pasta salad blends cottage cheese into a smooth, tangy dressing — no mayo, no graininess, and 14 grams of protein per serving. Tender elbow macaroni, crisp vegetables, and cubed cheddar get tossed together and chilled, making it an easy make-ahead side for cookouts, potlucks, and lunches all week.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1½ cups full-fat cottage cheese, drained 10 minutes
- ⅓ cup Italian dressing
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, quartered and sliced
- ¾ cup bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced small
- ½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
Instructions
- Drain the cottage cheese in a fine mesh strainer for 10 minutes.
- Boil pasta in well-salted water until just past al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until fully cooled. Drain well.
- Blend drained cottage cheese, Italian dressing, vinegar, Dijon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper 60–90 seconds, until completely smooth with no visible curds.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and cheddar. Fold in half the dressing.
- Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, stir in the remaining dressing and fresh herbs. Taste and adjust salt.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Blender
Notes
- Reserving half the dressing is what keeps this from drying out. Don't skip it.
- Whipped cottage cheese can replace the blending step — reduce Italian dressing to ¼ cup and skip the added salt.
- Add 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs to push protein past 18g per serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 12gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 427mgPotassium: 272mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 829IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 1mg