Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Protein-packed pasta salad with creamy cottage cheese, crisp veggies, and tangy herb dressing. Ready in 25 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 (optional)
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly in a colander 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 if using, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Add cooled pasta to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently to coat. Add halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, and sliced spring onions. Fold everything together until evenly distributed.
04 - Gently fold cottage cheese into the salad, being careful not to break up the curds too much. Ensure cheese is evenly distributed throughout.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese creates this incredibly creamy texture without being heavy like mayonnaise-based salads
  • You can throw everything together in under 30 minutes with ingredients you probably already have
  • It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional—warm pasta will make the cottage cheese separate and turn grainy
  • The salad needs those 15 minutes of chilling time for the flavors to really come together
  • Don't skip the fresh herbs if you can help it—they make the entire dish taste brighter and more vibrant
03 -
  • Use small curd cottage cheese for the best texture throughout the salad
  • Cut your vegetables slightly larger than you think you need—they'll stay crunchier longer
  • Reserve some fresh herbs to sprinkle on top right before serving for a pop of green

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