Mediterranean Cottage Cheese Pasta (Printable)

Protein-packed Mediterranean pasta with fresh vegetables, creamy cottage cheese, and tangy lemon oregano dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
02 - 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Dairy

03 - 1 cup cottage cheese

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
06 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Add-ins

15 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
16 - 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
02 - Toss cooled pasta with cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives, and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Adjust seasoning to taste, add optional feta and pine nuts if desired, and serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese creates this incredible creamy texture without the heaviness of mayonnaise based salads
  • You can throw it together in 25 minutes but it tastes like something that marinated all day
  • It actually gets better as it sits, making it perfect for meal prep or make ahead gatherings
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta thoroughly under cold water or it will continue cooking and absorb all the dressing
  • The cottage cheese can look curdled if you use low fat versions, so stick with full fat for the best texture
  • This salad needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator for the flavors to really meld together
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry pan until golden and fragrant, then let them cool completely before adding
  • If making ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss everything together no more than an hour before serving

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