High Protein Pasta
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Make this High Protein Pasta for a nourishing and filling dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes! With classic Italian flavors, the rich and luxurious sauce is also packed with protein, making your pasta extra nutritious!
Is it just me, or has pasta gotten a bad name? Contrary to its reputation, pasta can be part of a balanced diet, especially when packed with extra nutrition! I love to make this high protein dish when I’m craving a nice comforting and filling pasta dinner.
The sauce is really easy to make and features flavors you know and love paired with some extra ingredients like cottage cheese for added protein. The end result is a tasty pasta dish that’s great for quick weeknight dinners, a post-gym meal, or lunch throughout the week!
Similar to my Pesto Chicken Power Bowls or this Breakfast Hummus Bowl, this is a hearty dish that will fill you up and make you feel incredible!
Why This Recipe Works
- Nourishing: I’ll never turn down pasta, but some added nutrients make it all the better!
- Ideal for busy nights: This dish is made with minimal cooking time and comes together super easily, so it’s great for weeknights.
- Family friendly: Adults and kids both will love the rich and nostalgic Italian-inspired flavors with lots of herbal goodness.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ground beef: I like to go for lean ground beef or ground bison when I make this dish, but feel free to use whatever kind you like.
- Protein pasta: Many brands have pasta that’s specifically high in protein so be sure to check the packaging.
- Tomato basil sauce: This pairs perfectly with the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and provides the perfect base for your sauce.
- Cottage cheese: Another ingredient that adds lots of protein and a rich, delicious consistency.
*For a detailed list of instructions, ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.
Substitutions/Additions
- Pasta: If you can’t find protein pasta, a regular pasta will still work.
- Sauce: Any marinara sauce can be used if you can’t find tomato basil sauce specifically.
- Meat: Instead of ground beef, you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
How to Make High Protein Pasta
Step 1: Cook pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Step 2: Start sauce. In a pot, cook ground beef and tomatoes. Then add the sauce and basil and mix well.
Step 3: Blend sauce. Transfer about a cup of the sauce to a blender, add cottage cheese, and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Combine. Transfer the sauce back to the pan, add the cooked pasta, and stir together. Heat through and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Somewhat similar to ricotta, cottage cheese is essentially just cheese curds in cream. Aside from being high in protein, it also has lots of calcium and other nutrients.
There are types of pasta made from chickpeas, soybeans, and lentils that are all pretty good when it comes to the protein factor.
Store your leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing your pasta since the sauce has dairy in it, which can separate or take on a weird texture when frozen.
For small portions, this pasta microwaves fairly well. You can also transfer pasta back to a pot over medium heat on the stove and stir every so often until it’s all hot again.
Enjoy More Easy Pasta Recipes!
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Lazy Lasagna Casserole
- Pesto Prosciutto Pasta
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Tomato Ricotta Pesto Pasta
If you tried this High Protein Pasta or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
High Protein Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Don’t forget to salt the pasta water! Before draining, set aside 1/2 cup of the pasta water.1 box protein pasta of choice (I used Barilla)
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the pan and add the tomatoes around the beef. Let the beef cook, undisturbed for 4-5 minutes on each side. Once both sides are browned, begin to break it up using a meat masher.1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- Once the meat is broken up (it shouldn’t be fully cooked yet), add a pinch of salt to the tomatoes and then pour in the sauce and mix everything together.1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 jar tomato basil sauce
- Simmer for 4-5 minutes, then transfer 1 cup of the sauce (it’s ok if you pick up some ground beef and tomatoes!) to a blender with the cottage cheese and blend until creamy. Add the cottage cheese mixture to the pan and mix to combine.2 cups cottage cheese
- When the pasta is finished cooking, add it to the pan with the meat sauce with 1/4 cup of pasta water and mix to combine.
Notes
- If you find the sauce is a little too thick for your liking, use the pasta water you set aside to thin it out as much as you want.
