Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese

Pasta night is a sacred tradition in our house. From a hearty Bolognese to fresh pesto or creamy fettuccine Alfredo, pasta has always been a meal my family can rally around. That said, I’m always looking for ways to eat more vegetables and ways to add protein for extra nutrition, and this vodka sauce with cottage cheese is my new favorite delicious, yet healthy-ish, pasta recipe.

While traditional vodka sauce relies on heavy cream to make the tomato-based sauce rich and creamy, this recipe uses cottage cheese instead. When blended until smooth, cottage cheese helps add creaminess and body to the sauce—just like cream—while also sneaking a few extra grams of protein into every serving.

While fat-free and low-fat cottage cheeses typically contain more protein per serving, we encourage you to use a full-fat cottage cheese with at least 4% milk fat for the best taste and supreme richness. Once you try vodka sauce with cottage cheese served over your favorite pasta shape, you might never go back to the old-fashioned recipe. In this instance, the secret really is in the sauce!

Ingredients for Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese

• Pasta: While penne is perhaps the most popular noodle for vodka sauce, you can really choose any variety that you enjoy. Tubular shapes, such as cavatappi, rigatoni or ziti, work well because they shuttle extra sauce to your mouth in every bite. Noodles with grooves, like rotini, shells or radiatori, typically work well because the sauce clings to the ridges better than smooth shapes.
• Thick-cut bacon: The bacon in this recipe doesn’t make the sauce taste like bacon; it adds richness and saltiness to balance the tomatoes’ acidity.
• Onion and garlic: This dynamic duo of aromatics infuses the vodka sauce with a divine, intoxicating flavor and aroma.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: If your family prefers a milder taste, you can reduce or omit the chili flakes from the recipe, although the amount we recommend adds just a touch of heat and spice.
• Tomato paste: A small amount of tomato paste helps make the tomato flavor nice and robust.
• Whole canned tomatoes: Not all canned tomatoes are created equally. For the best taste and consistency, consider splurging on a can of the best San Marzano tomatoes you can find.
• Salt: A bit of salt enhances all the flavors in the sauce.
• Vodka: While you don’t have to use top-shelf vodka for vodka sauce with cottage cheese, we recommend avoiding harsh, lower-quality spirits that can impart undesirable flavors into the sauce.
• Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient that makes this vodka sauce recipe rich in protein and lower in fat and calories compared to traditional vodka sauce.
• Pasta water: This precious liquid is another secret to making great homemade pasta. Adding a bit of pasta water to the sauce helps thin it to the proper consistency while also giving it body so it can cling evenly to the pasta.
• Parmesan cheese: A handful (or two) of Parm is stirred into the sauce with the pasta just before serving for a little classic Italian flavor.
• Fresh basil or parsley: These fresh herbs offer a final flourish of color and freshness to each plate of pasta.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the bacon and onions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon. After four to five minutes, once the meat begins to render, add the chopped onions.

Cook until the bacon is crisp and the onions are tender, another four to five minutes.

Step 2: Add aromatics, tomatoes and vodka

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato paste to the skillet. Cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds, then add the tomatoes, salt and vodka. Bring the sauce to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Cook the pasta

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Editor’s Tip: Pasta water is the secret to the best sauce, so don’t swap in plain water. As the pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water, which helps give the pasta sauce body so it’s not only velvety smooth but also clings to every nook and cranny of the pasta. Keep the hot, salted pasta water in a glass measuring cup for later.

Step 4: Blend the cottage cheese

In a high-powered blender, combine the cottage cheese with 1/4 cup pasta water. Puree until smooth.

Step 5: Purée until smooth

Transfer the sauce to the blender with the cottage cheese. Puree until smooth and evenly blended. Then, return the sauce to the skillet.

Step 6: Combine and serve

Add the hot cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese to the sauce, and toss to coat. If desired, thin the sauce with another 1/4 cup pasta water (or enough until the ideal consistency is reached).

Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan and fresh chopped herbs, if desired.

Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese Variations

• Consider a chunky vodka sauce: If you enjoy having little bits of tomato in your pasta sauce, puree only half the sauce with cottage cheese, then combine it with the other half before tossing with the pasta and cheese.
• Try a bacon alternative: If you have access to prosciutto or pancetta, you can use them in place of the bacon in this recipe. They’re a bit pricier, but they will yield a more authentic Italian flavor.
• Add more meat: Looking for more protein? Add 1 pound of cooked lean ground Italian sausage, beef, turkey or chicken to the pot when combining the sauce with the pasta and cheese in the final step.
• Spice it up: If you enjoy a spicy arrabbiatta sauce, consider giving this cottage cheese vodka sauce an extra kick. You can either increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes or add 1 to 2 tablespoons Calabrian chiles.

How to Store Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese

Vodka sauce with cottage cheese should be stored in an airtight food storage container and kept refrigerated.

How long does cottage cheese vodka sauce last?

When refrigerated, cottage cheese vodka sauce will stay fresh for four or five days.

Can you freeze vodka sauce?

It depends. Traditional vodka sauce and other sauces with a high dairy content tend to split or curdle upon thawing and reheating. If this does not bother you, you can store the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator, then warm.

Alternatively, if you’d like to freeze this sauce without fear of it curdling, we recommend preparing it through Step 2 of the directions and freezing it as a spaghetti sauce without any dairy. Then, upon reheating the sauce, blend it with the cottage cheese, Parmesan and freshly cooked pasta.

How should you reheat vodka sauce with cottage cheese?

The best way to reheat vodka sauce with cottage cheese is to use low and slow heat to maintain the right consistency. For the best taste, add a splash of water or milk to the leftovers before warming gently in a skillet over low heat on the stovetop. You may also microwave at a reduced power setting in one to two minute increments, stirring after each, until heated through.

Vodka Sauce with Cottage Cheese Tips

What sides can you serve with pasta and cottage cheese vodka sauce?

Pair this filling pasta with cottage cheese vodka sauce with your favorite protein main course. A few sizzling Italian sausages, grilled chicken breasts, Parmesan-crusted pork cutlets or a batch of homemade meatballs would all make delicious partners. Then, lighten things up with a garden side salad or steamed vegetables of your choice. Don’t forget some copycat Olive Garden breadsticks; you’ll need them to sop up every last drop of the delectable sauce.

How else can you use vodka sauce with cottage cheese?

This sauce can also be used to top homemade pizzas, layered into a lasagna with your other favorite fillings, baked with stuffed shells, or enjoyed as a dipping sauce with mozzarella sticks or zucchini fries.