Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad (Printable)

Protein-rich pasta salad with creamy cottage cheese, fresh vegetables, and zesty herb dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or rotini)

→ Dairy

02 - 1 cup cottage cheese

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dill, salt, and black pepper until emulsified and well combined.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the dressing. Add halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, and sliced spring onions. Toss gently to coat evenly with the dressing.
04 - Fold in the cottage cheese using a spatula, being careful not to break it up completely. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the salad.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Protein that actually satisfies without that heavy, post meal slump that hits hard on summer afternoons
  • The dressing clings to every twist of pasta so you never get those dry bites that make you sad
02 -
  • The salad absorbs dressing as it sits, so keep a little extra on hand or add a splash of lemon right before serving
  • Cottage cheese can make it taste slightly less salty than you expect, so don't be shy with the seasoning
03 -
  • Save some fresh herbs to scatter on top right before serving so it looks vibrant and freshly made
  • If the cottage cheese seems watery, give it a quick drain in a mesh sieve before mixing it in

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