Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Light, protein-rich pasta salad with creamy cottage cheese, crisp vegetables, and zesty herb dressing. Ideal for warm weather dining.

# 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 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente per package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool completely.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until emulsified.
03 - Add cooled pasta to the bowl with the dressing. Toss in cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and spring onions. Gently fold until evenly coated.
04 - Fold cottage cheese into the salad carefully to maintain texture. Distribute evenly throughout without breaking down the cheese curds completely.
05 - Taste 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 Insights:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese makes it surprisingly creamy without any heavy mayonnaise
  • You can prep it in the morning and it actually tastes better by lunchtime
  • It packs serious protein but still feels light and refreshing
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta thoroughly with cold water or the cottage cheese will melt into a weird texture
  • Let the salad chill for at least 15 minutes or the flavors will taste separate and jarring
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables slightly larger than you think you should so they maintain texture
  • Use a large bowl when tossing so you do not crush the tomatoes or cottage cheese

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