Ingredients
- 8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese (I always use Good Culture)
- kosher salt
- 1 pound broccoli (~2 heads)
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 8 ounces protein pasta, such as Banza (GF)* or Barilla Protein+ (I prefer a short noodle like rigatoni or penne)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Take the cottage cheese out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets. Trim off the tough parts of the stem; discard. Thinly slice the stem crosswise. Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water. About 2 minutes before the pasta is al dente (according to package directions), add the broccoli florets and cook until the pasta is ready. Turn off the heat, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Transfer the pasta and broccoli to a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss. Spread into an even layer (this will cool down the pasta a bit and prevent it from sticking).
- Place the cottage cheese, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds black pepper in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth. With the motor running, stream in a splash of the reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the now-empty pasta pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and broccoli stems and sauté until the stems are tender but still have a slight bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta and sauce. Stir, adding another splash of pasta water if needed, until a creamy sauce coats the noodles. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- (At this point, if you want to warm it up a bit over low heat, you can!) Serve with more Parmesan.
*IF YOU’RE USING BANZA: cook a minute or two less than package directions. It overcooks very quickly and then will fall apart!