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30 Minutes or Less

Cottage Cheese Vodka Pasta

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cottage cheese vodka pasta in a skillet with a spoon.

Vodka pasta is one of those recipes that feels like a special occasion meal but comes together on a weeknight in under 30 minutes – and this version just got a serious upgrade! This cottage cheese pasta takes the classic vodka sauce and swaps in blended cottage cheese for the heavy cream, giving you all the silky, rich, tomato-y creaminess you love at a fraction of the calories and with a whole lot more protein. The sauce is velvety smooth, deeply savory, and clings to every strand of pasta beautifully. My toddler clears his bowl every single time, and honestly, so do I!

Just like my Cottage Cheese Alfredo and Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust, the secret is blending the cottage cheese completely smooth before it ever hits the pan – so there’s not a single curd in sight and nobody at your table is any the wiser. What you’re left with is a healthy, high-protein pasta dinner that tastes indulgent, comes together in one pan, and is genuinely loved by the whole family – even the pickiest eaters!

Why You’ll Love This Cottage Cheese Vodka Pasta

  • Higher in protein and lighter than classic vodka pasta. Traditional vodka sauce is made with heavy cream. This version swaps it for blended cottage cheese, which delivers a creamy, luxurious texture with significantly more protein and fewer calories per serving.
  • Tastes just like the real thing. The blended cottage cheese disappears completely into the sauce. What you’re left with is a rich, creamy, tangy vodka sauce that is genuinely indistinguishable from the classic – nobody will ever guess the secret ingredient.
  • Even picky eaters love it. My toddler is obsessed with this pasta, which is basically the highest endorsement a recipe can get! The sauce is mild, creamy, and comforting — all the things that make pasta so universally beloved.
  • Easy enough for a weeknight. One blender, one pan, one pot of pasta. The whole dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes, which makes this a regular in our weekly dinner rotation.
  • Healthy and wholesome. Made with real, simple ingredients – no heavy cream, no processed anything – just a genuinely nutritious dinner that the whole family will LOVE.
overhead image of cottage cheese vodka pasta in a large skillet.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

  • Pasta: Any shape you love works here! Short pasta like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli are classic for vodka sauce, but spaghetti, linguine, or even gluten-free pasta all pair beautifully.
  • Vodka: Not a fan of cooking with alcohol? Swap for ¼ cup of chicken broth or vegetable broth. The flavor will be slightly different but equally delicious!
  • Add Protein: Stir in grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, or Italian turkey sausage to turn this into an even heartier meal.
  • Add Vegetables: Toss in a big handful of fresh spinach at the end (it will wilt quickly in the hot sauce), or stir in roasted cherry tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Make it Spicier: Double the red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne for a spicier sauce that really brings the heat.
  • Make it Dairy-Free: Swap the parmesan for a vegan parmesan alternative and use a dairy-free cottage cheese substitute.

Sam’s Recipe Tips

  • Blend the cottage cheese with the pasta water. The starchy pasta water doesn’t just help the texture; it also helps the blended cottage cheese emulsify smoothly into the tomato sauce without curdling or separating. Don’t skip the pasta water step!
  • Blend until completely, completely smooth. Any remaining curds from the cottage cheese will be visible in the final sauce. Take a full 60 seconds on high speed, scraping down the sides as needed. A high-speed blender gives the silkiest result.
  • Don’t skip caramelizing the tomato paste. Cooking the tomato paste in the pan for a few minutes before adding the vodka deepens the flavor significantly. You’ll notice it darkens slightly in color – that’s exactly what you want. This step takes less than 3 minutes but makes a huge difference.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. I always reserve at least 1 full cup, even though the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup. You may need extra to loosen the sauce when adding the pasta, and pasta water is the best way to do it without diluting the flavor.
  • Serve immediately. Like most pasta dishes, this is best eaten right away while the sauce is hot and silky. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits, so don’t let it linger too long before serving!
  • Leftovers tip: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk, water, or broth to loosen the sauce back up.
cottage cheese vodka pasta in a skillet with a spoon.
5 from 1 vote

Cottage Cheese Vodka Pasta

This cottage cheese vodka pasta is a lighter, higher-protein twist on the classic – made with blended cottage cheese instead of heavy cream for a silky, rich, restaurant-worthy sauce that comes together in just 30 minutes! The cottage cheese disappears completely into the tomato vodka base, giving you all the creamy indulgence of the original with significantly more protein and fewer calories per serving. If you're looking for an easy healthier pasta recipe that the whole family will love (even the pickiest eaters) this is the one to make tonight!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 1 blender or food processor
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 large skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta I used gluten-free
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking the pasta)
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion finely diced
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup vodka or chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
  • Blend cottage cheese and reserved pasta water until completely smooth. Set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
  • Add tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly caramelized.
  • Add vodka and cook for 2–3 minutes until mostly cooked off.
  • Reduce heat to low. Add blended cottage cheese, salt, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Stir and cook 3–5 minutes until smooth and heated through.
  • Add drained pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta water as needed to adjust consistency.
  • Serve immediately with fresh parsley and extra parmesan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g
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30 Minutes or Less

20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

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mongolian chicken in a skillet

Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.

overhead image of mongolian chicken on a plate over cauliflower rice

What You’ll Need To Make Mongolian Chicken

Chicken Breast – Thinly slice two large, boneless and skinless chicken breasts against the grain. Once sliced, it’s ready to use in this recipe! And for extra crispy chicken pieces, we start by coating them in corn starch before cooking. However, if you don’t have any corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in its place. Or, you can skip this step altogether!

Scallions – Slice three whole scallions (white and green part) however large or small you’d like. I typically slice mine in 2-inch pieces, since I love biting into large pieces of sautéed scallions in my mongolian chicken.

Ginger – If using fresh, whole ginger, slice off a 1-inch knob of ginger and remove the skin. Then, run your piece of ginger along a microplane grater until its finely grated. Or, to save time, I recommend buying a jar of minced ginger, and using that in this recipe instead!

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is the classic addition to this Chinese-inspired recipe. However, if gluten-free, use tamari in place of the soy sauce. Or, for a slightly healthier version, use reduced sodium soy sauce instead!

close-up image of mongolian chicken in a skillet

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo: Turn this into an easy paleo dinner recipe by replacing the corn starch with tapioca starch, and using coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Then, serve your cooked chicken over cauliflower rice – yum.

Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mongolian chicken, make sure the corn starch you use is entirely gluten-free, and replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce, and tastes exactly the same!

overhead image of mongolian chicken in a skillet.

Interested In More Chicken Recipes? Try These!

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20-Minute Mongolian Chicken

Quick, easy, and insanely delicious 20-minute mongolian chicken! Inspired by the flavors in your favorite dish from your local Chinese restaurant – comes together in less time than it’d take you to order takeout.
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup corn starch, or arrowroot starch
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free

Instructions

  • Season chicken breast with salt, then toss in corn starch to coat.
  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, once hot add in the chicken – cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
  • Lower heat to medium and add in the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Whisk the corn starch into the vegetable broth, then pour into the skillet along with the soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened.
  • Once thick, add chicken back into the skillet and toss in sauce, then serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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30 Minutes or Less

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

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overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad in a bowl.

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!

close-up overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad on a plate with a fork

What You’ll Need To Make This Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

Dijon Mustard – We do NOT use this ingredient sparingly in our maple dijon dressing! An entire 1/4 cup gives this entire meal tons of tangy, delicious flavor. In case you’re not familiar with this French ingredient, dijon mustard is creamier, spicier, and has less vinegar than yellow mustard. It’s a favorite in my home, for everything from sandwiches to salad dressings. It’s among one of the healthiest condiments you can use, with no added-sugar or preservatives!

Maple Syrup – A touch of maple syrup is necessary to balance out the intensely savory flavors in this salmon salad recipe. And if you don’t have any maple syrup on-hand, you can use an equal amount of honey instead.

Salmon Fillets – Feel free to use any variety of salmon fillets you’d like! Sockeye salmon and atlantic salmon are the two most common types, and are only slightly different from each other. Sockeye salmon is a bit more lean, and has a stronger fish flavor, while atlantic salmon is fattier, with a more mild flavor. I personally love atlantic salmon for it’s ultra-soft, buttery, and flaky qualities. Though again, you can use any type of salmon fillets you’d like for this lunch or dinner recipe!

Green Apple – I know, not all of us are fans of fruit in our salads. However, green apple is much more tart than sweet in this salmon salad. Also, remember we have a bit of sweetness in our dressing – so the little bit of natural sweetness from a thinly sliced green apple works to compliment that. If you don’t have any green apples, you can easily leave them out or use a red apple in its place.

Pecans or Walnuts – I have just one rule when it comes to salads, they all must include a crunchy component. A little bit of crunch goes a long way in rounding out the textures in this dish. Roughly chopped pecans and/or walnuts are a healthy alternative to standard croutons. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plenty of healthy fats!

maple dijon dressing being poured over salmon salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Feel free to add or remove any salad ingredients you’d like! Not a fan of nuts? Simple leave them out. Prefer a certain type of lettuce? Then definitely use it! This super simple salad recipe is incredibly easy to customize.
  • For anyone who cooks meat or fish regularly, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen thermometer. This is the thermometer I use on pretty much a daily basis. It’s the easiest way to ensure perfectly cooked salmon every time!
  • This salmon salad can be enjoyed hot or cold! Salmon’s one of those things that tastes delicious at just about any temperature. I often double this recipe for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long – no need to reheat!
Maple dijon salmon salad on a serving platter.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Sugar-Free: For an entirely sugar-free recipe, use Lankanto Maple Flavored Syrup in place of the maple syrup.

Make it Nut-Free: Simply replace the nuts with sunflower seeds to make this a nut-free lunch or dinner recipe.

5 from 1 vote

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • juice from 1 lemon, see Notes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the salmon:

  • 4 salmon fillets, boneless
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

  • 4 cups lettuce, see Notes
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel. Season filets with salt and black pepper, then drizzle half the maple Dijon dressing evenly over top of the salmon.
  • Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into thickest end of the salmon read 125° Fahrenheit.
  • While salmon cooks, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Once salmon is done, divide salad between four plates, top each plate with a salmon filet and serve with remaining dressing.

Notes

  • Lemon Juice: If you don’t have any fresh lemons, you can use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice in this recipe.
  • Lettuce: Use any type of lettuce you like, I used mesclun!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

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    avocado pasta on a plate with a fork

    Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

    close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

    What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

    Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

    Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

    Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

    overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

    Tips and Tricks

    • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
    • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
    • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

    Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

    No ratings yet

    Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

    Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

    For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:

    • 1 pint grape tomatoes
    • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • salt and black pepper, to taste

    For the avocado sauce:

    • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed
    • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
    • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
    • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
    • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

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    mushroom pasta on a plate

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!

    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with fresh sage on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta

    Pasta – All pasta shapes and sizes are welcome here. I used my all-time favorite Jovial Brown Rice Gluten-Free Tagliatelle, but really any pasta will work. Spaghetti, penne, bow-ties, etc – anything and everything will taste delicious! And for a grain-free option, you can swap the pasta for zucchini noodles.

    Butter – I used Myoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter in my mushroom pasta, but you can use any type of butter you’d like. Though if you’re like me and looking to keep this dinner recipe vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend the Myoko’s butter. It’s made from simple, good-for-you ingredients, and tastes just like the real thing!

    Mushrooms – I’m starting to feel like a broken record here, but again, any and all mushrooms will taste great in this dish! I picked up a mushroom variety pack from my local grocery store to keep things exciting.

    Garlic – All my fellow garlic fiends, go ahead and add a few extra cloves! I love how well the garlic shines through in this super simple meal. It adds this savory, salty bite that’s seriously so good.

    Shallot – Either a shallot or half of a small yellow onion will work. Whichever option you take, be sure to finely chop it before cooking. If left too large, it could get in the way of the carefully curated textures in this dish.

    mushroom pasta being lifted off a plate with a fork

    Tips and Tricks

    • Don’t forget to reserve pasta water! Pasta water has the perfect amount of starch in it, which will help to thicken the sauce. If forgotten, you can use either regular water or vegetable broth in its place, but risk a thin sauce that won’t lock in as much flavor.
    • Get started on the mushrooms as soon as the pasta starts cooking. The pasta will take anywhere from 7 to 12 minutes to cook, which is exactly the amount of time you’ll need to make the sauce. Therefore, time everything perfectly by having both components going at the same time!
    • This mushroom pasta is best served immediately after cooking! However, if you ever need to reheat pasta, add a little bit of broth or water to freshen it up. I recommend reheating this mushroom pasta over the stove with 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stirring frequently until warm throughout!
    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with white wine on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: Take my vegan option and use vegan butter instead of regular butter.

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mushroom pasta, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    Paleo/Grain-Free Option: Make this a paleo pasta recipe by substituting the regular pasta with zucchini noodles, and the butter for olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee!

    No ratings yet

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta, uncooked
    • 4 tablespoons butter, separated (I used vegan butter)
    • 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
    • While pasta cooks, melt two tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
    • Sprinkle mushroom with salt and pepper, then add in garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes or until very fragrant.
    • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and transfer to the skillet. Add in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and about ½ cup of that reserved pasta water.
    • Reduce heat to low, and simmer until a nice sauce forms and coats the pasta. Continue adding remaining reserved pasta water if pasta begins to dry out. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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