Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

This creamy sun dried tomato pasta is a quick and easy vegetarian dinner recipe. Cottage cheese adds richness to the sauce that you can make in a food processor or blender.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Pasta & Noodles

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

For pasta

10 ounces fettucine

For sauce

1 cup milk, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes
1/2 cup cottage cheese, preferably 4%, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes
10 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, oil drained (about 14 tomato halves)
1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
2 garlic cloves
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For serving

1 cup torn baby spinach
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts plus more for serving
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the fettuccine 2 minute less than the recommended package cook time for al dente pasta. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
In a food processor or blender, combine the milk, cottage cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
Warm the sauce in a large skillet or sauté pan over low heat. You should gently reheat it. Do not let it bubble or simmer. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water.
Add the pasta, stirring it into the sauce. If the sauce need to thinned out to coat the pasta, add more cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time.
Fold in the baby spinach, walnuts and parsley.
Divide the pasta onto serving plates or into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan and chopped walnuts.

Notes

I recommend using whole fat cottage cheese (4%), but you can also use low-fat cottage cheese (2%). Do not use non-fat.

If you prefer a shorter pasta shape, then you can substitute with penne.

Let leftover pasta cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. You can keep it in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat the fettucine in the microwave or in a skillet lightly greased with olive oil over low heat, stirring frequently. The noodles will soften and lose some of their al dente bite the longer they sit and when you reheat them.

Nutrition