Penne alla vodka with cottage cheese
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Penne alla vodka with cottage cheese
High in protein and low in fat, cottage cheese is having a moment. This retro ingredient does the work of cream in this recipe, only with fewer calories
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Nadine Brown
Nadine Brown
Ingredients
- 170g red lentil penne pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 80g tomato purée
- 75ml vodka
- 100g cottage cheese
- 20g grated vegetarian hard cheese, plus extra to serve
- small handful of fresh basil
Step by step
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Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the penne according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving a large cup of the pasta water.
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Heat the oil in a wide sauté pan over a low heat. Add the onion with a large pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute. Add the tomato purée, cooking for 2 minutes, then stir in the vodka. Simmer for a few minutes then remove from the heat.
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Blitz the cottage cheese and a scoop of the tomato mixture with a splash of the pasta water in a blender until smooth and creamy. Stir it into the mixture in the saucepan with a splash more of the pasta water and place over a low heat. Tip in the pasta and cheese, tossing everything together until well coated and glossy. Loosen with a little more pasta water if too thick. Season to taste, then serve with extra cheese and the basil scattered over the top.
