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
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham.
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham.
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
-
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.
