Creamy Pasta Veggie Recipe

This Creamy Veggie Pasta proves that sauce made by blending cottage cheese and marinara has gone viral on social media for good reason. It’s actually really great! High in protein and satisfyingly creamy.

Why you will love this Vegetable Pasta Recipe

• It uses a viral Tik Tok idea (cottage cheese blended with marinara) that is actually really awesome and worth making.
• It’s higher in protein than most vegetable pastas, thanks to the protein in the cottage cheese.
• It’s fully customizable – swap in your own personal favorite vegetables!

What is Veggie Pasta?

Veggie pasta is a delicious, plant-forward dish that combines tender pasta, a variety of fresh vegetables, and a creamy tomato sauce. It’s great as a standalone meal or as a tasty side dish, and it’s a crowd-pleaser for vegetarians and pasta lovers alike.

Veggie Pasta Ingredients

• cottage cheese – gets blended with marinara to create a creamy, protein-rich sauce without using cream or half and half.
• marinara sauce – a jarred sauce is great here. I recommend Rao’s, but any brand that you like is good!
• Parmesan cheese – this is also blended into the sauce for added creaminess and saltiness.
• pasta – any shape of pasta works here! I like small shapes like shells, which are perfect vehicles to carry the sauce and veggies in each bite.
• broccoli – adds lots of fiber and a toothsome texture.
• onion – adds a mild sweetness and depth of flavor.
• mushrooms – contribute a meaty texture to this meat-free dish.
• carrots – add a natural sweetness and pop of color.
• frozen corn – bulks up the pasta with a touch of sweetness.
• garlic – adds a layer of savory flavor.
• olive oil – for sauteeing the veggies.
• Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper – the seasonings that will enhance all the flavors and bring them together into a cohesive dish.

How to make Veggie Pasta

1. BLEND. Put the cottage cheese, marinara and Parmesan cheese in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. BOIL. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling and cook the pasta. Add the broccoli during the last minute of the pasta cooking time. Reserve some pasta cooking water before you add the broccoli. Drain everything and set aside.
3. SAUTE. Cook the onion in a bit of oil, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are browned. Add the carrots, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
4. THIN SAUCE. Add a cup of the pasta cooking water to the blender with the sauce and blend until combined to thin out the sauce.
5. TOSS. Add the corn, cooked pasta and broccoli, and the sauce to the skillet and cook until everything is warmed through, while tossing together.
6. SERVE. Serve the pasta garnished with additional Parmesan cheese.

One Pot Veggie Pasta Variations

• PROTEIN BOOST – Add cooked chicken, shrimp or chickpeas for added protein.
• WHOLE GRAIN – Use whole-wheat pasta or a legume-based pasta for added fiber and protein.
• SEASONAL – Swap out vegetables based on the season, like using asparagus in the spring or butternut squash in the fall.

How to serve this Vegetable Pasta Recipe

Truly, this is a whole, satisfying meal all in one dish. You don’t need a vegetable side dish, because there are so many veggies in the pasta itself.

Serve this veggie pasta recipe with our homemade garlic bread recipe or easy yeast rolls for mopping up any extra sauce.

How to store this Pasta Veggie Recipe

If you have leftovers, transfer them to a storage container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

I do not suggest freezing this dish, as the cream sauce will have a compromised texture when thawed and reheated.

Gently reheat this veggie pasta recipe on your stovetop over medium-low heat, with a splash of water or milk added to revive the sauce.

You can also reheat this in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every minute until heated through.

Veggie Pasta With Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Author: Lori Yates

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 25 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

This dish it full of veggies like broccoli, carrots and peas, and nice and filling thanks to whole wheat pasta. A creamy marinara sauce pulls everything together in this simple and healthy one-pot dinner!

5 from 1 rating

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup cottage cheese
• ▢ 1 cup marinara sauce Rao’s recommended
• ▢ ½ cup grated Parmesan plus additional for serving
• ▢ 8 ounces shell pasta
• ▢ 2 cups finely chopped broccoli
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 8 ounces button mushrooms chopped
• ▢ 2 medium carrots peeled and grated
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for pasta water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ Pinch red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn

Instructions

• Add cottage cheese, marinara and Parmesan cheese to high-speed blender and blend 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth. Set aside but leave blender set up (you’ll be adding pasta water to this mixture later).
• Heat large pot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Add broccoli to pot during last 1 minute of pasta cooking time, reserving 1-1/2 cups pasta cooking water BEFORE you add the broccoli. After broccoli cooks 1 minute, drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.
• Meanwhile, while water is coming to a boil and pasta is cooking, heat oil in large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until 3 to 5 minutes or until onion begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and mushrooms and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms are deeply browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrots, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
• Add 1 cup pasta cooking water to sauce in blender and blend until well combined.
• Add corn, pasta, broccoli and sauce to skillet; toss over medium heat until warmed though (the frozen corn will cool everything down so be sure to simmer for a few minutes to get everything nice and hot). Thin sauce with additional pasta water if sauce is too thick.
• Serve pasta garnished with additional Parmesan cheese.

Calories: 485kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 1301mg, Potassium: 972mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 5837IU, Vitamin C: 51mg, Calcium: 235mg, Iron: 3mg

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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