Mushroom and Cottage Cheese Pasta

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Nov. 28, 2022

Mushroom and Cottage Cheese Pasta
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,048)
Comments
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This low-effort, intensely flavored pasta dish highlights the earthiness of mushrooms. First, the mushrooms are cooked to release moisture and to concentrate their flavor, then they are puréed into a velvety sauce. Cremini mushrooms are an excellent choice because they are accessible and have a bold mushroom taste, but other varieties also work. For even more mushroom flavor, add a few shiitake mushrooms or a small handful of rehydrated dried porcinis. Cottage cheese is perhaps the most underappreciated of the supermarket fresh cheeses. The curds melt through this pasta to add a feathery light, mildly sweet creaminess.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½pounds cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)
  • 1yellow or red onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 6garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1pound short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne or cavatappi
  • 1cup full-fat cottage cheese, plus more for serving
  • ½lemon
  • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • Handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

405 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 628 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the mushrooms, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released some of their liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for another 7 to 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely soft, and golden in parts, and the liquid has cooked away. Turn off the heat.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 3 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the cooked pasta. Return the pasta to the pot.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the mushroom mixture to a blender or food processor and add 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. (Keep the rest, in case you need more to loosen the sauce.) Blend until silky. Taste, and add a touch more salt and pepper, if needed.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the mushroom sauce onto the pasta, add the cottage cheese and toss to coat the pasta.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, squeeze over some lemon juice; top with red-pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Finish with an additional dollop of cottage cheese, if you like.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,048 user ratings
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Comments

KM

When I was a child, my mother often made whole-wheat spaghetti with cottage cheese and spinach. It was delightful, and there’s a satisfying lightness that cottage cheese adds. I often use it now, in place of other richer cheeses, in lasagnas and dips. I think the nuttiness of a whole grain pasta would be a delicious complement to the umami of the mushrooms in this dish!

momonjava

I have to agree with other comments about the color of this sauce, but this is not a deal breaker because it's similar to cream of mushroom soup. The first time I made this I followed the recipe but didn't love the cottage cheese curds. This time, I blended the cottage cheese in with the mushrooms and the sauce was Silky with a capital S. I also added a little dried marjoram (love this herb with mushrooms) and balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice. It was much improved IMHO.

Coco

I agree with others on here that the dish came out a really off-putting grey color. Pureeing the sauteed mushrooms with only pasta water didn't make a "velvety sauce", but a chunky grey looking gruel. I would consider looking into other mushroom sauce recipes and not use this one here. The addition of cottage cheese was interesting and worth trying again, but this isn't the recipe to do it. I recommend looking up different recipes, this one is a skip.

Melissa

Made last night and really loved it! Will it be the best thing you've ever eaten.. no, but excellent for a weeknight meal. I used some of the suggestions about adding a bit of soy sauce which really brought out the mushroom flavor. I also bought a seasoning blend from Trader Joes which I would 100% recommend for this recipe. The seasoning is called Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend, it added a lot of flavor to the dish. Lastly I blended half the mushrooms and mixed in the rest at the end. Yum!

LC

Add cottage cheese to food processor. To mushrooms mixture add: juice from one lemon, lots of garlic, dried marjoram, splash of soy sauce. Reserve some of mushroom mixture - do not process. Add pasta water sparingly.

MH

Did not blend the mushrooms because why would I? But otherwise a perfectly serviceable pasta for mushroom lovers.

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