A Tester’s ‘Perfect’ Verdict: Ali Slagle’s Creamy Cottage Cheese Basil Pasta

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Blending Classics into a Weeknight Winner (Image Credits: Unsplash)

A recent New York Times Dining newsletter highlighted a standout recipe that earned high praise from testers. Ali Slagle’s creamy cottage cheese basil pasta drew the comment “a perfect recipe” from one evaluator, with colleague Margaux Laskey adding, “It is so, so, so good.”[1][2] This one-pot dish captures the bright, herbaceous punch of pesto alongside the velvety richness of Alfredo sauce. It swaps heavy cream for blended cottage cheese, delivering a glossy result in just 35 minutes.

Blending Classics into a Weeknight Winner

Recipe developer Ali Slagle, known for her low-effort, high-reward dishes, crafted this pasta as a clever fusion. Her cookbook I Dream of Dinner (so You Don’t Have To) reflects a style focused on simplicity, and this recipe exemplifies it with minimal ingredients and tools.[3] Testers noted its appeal for busy evenings, praising the smooth sauce that clings perfectly to the noodles.

The magic starts in a high-speed blender, where cottage cheese, Parmesan, fresh basil, spinach, lemon, garlic, and olive oil transform into a vibrant green puree. This approach avoids the curds typical of unblended cottage cheese, yielding a sauce as silky as traditional cream-based ones. Long pasta like spaghetti holds the coating well, making every forkful satisfying.

Key Ingredients for Silky Success

The recipe calls for straightforward pantry staples and fresh greens. Whole-milk cottage cheese provides protein and creaminess, while Parmesan adds sharp umami. A generous amount of basil and spinach infuses herbal depth without needing nuts or extra oil.

• Salt, to taste
• 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
• 8 ounces whole-milk cottage cheese (1 cup), at room temperature
• 3½ ounces grated Parmesan (1 cup), plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 3 ounces baby spinach (3 big handfuls)
• 2½ ounces torn basil leaves (2 packed cups)
• 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta

Using a scale speeds up prep, and grating Parmesan in the blender saves a step – just pulse chunks first.[2] Room-temperature cheese ensures smooth blending, preventing lumps.

Simple Steps to One-Pot Perfection

Boil salted water while prepping the sauce base. Zest and juice the lemon directly into the blender, then add cheeses, oil, garlic, spinach, and basil. Process until very smooth, which may take up to five minutes in a food processor.

1. Cook pasta al dente, reserving 1½ cups pasta water before draining.
2. Blend ¾ cup reserved water into the sauce for glossiness.
3. Toss sauce with hot pasta off the heat, adding more water as needed until coated.
4. Season, drizzle with oil, and grate extra Parmesan on top.

This method leverages pasta water’s starch for emulsification, creating a restaurant-quality cling. Halve for two servings, as one tester did with great results.[2]

Nutrition at a Glance

The dish balances indulgence with nourishment. Per serving for 4 to 6, it offers solid protein from the cheeses alongside carbs from pasta.

Fiber from greens adds subtle bulk, keeping it filling yet light.[2] Vegetarians appreciate its meat-free profile, and it’s budget-friendly with everyday buys.

Home Cooks Embrace the Green Glow

Ratings average 5 stars from over 200 reviewers on NYT Cooking.[2] Many halved it successfully, calling the color striking and flavor balanced. One cook topped it with grilled chicken for family approval.

Others experimented lightly, like adding red pepper flakes for heat. Longtime fans of similar creamy pestos found the lemon twist refreshing. Slagle’s track record shines through, with pasta recipes consistently earning top marks.

Ali Slagle’s creamy cottage cheese basil pasta proves cottage cheese belongs beyond snacks, elevating simple ingredients into something extraordinary. Its tester acclaim underscores reliable deliciousness for any table. Ready to blend up a batch? What do you think about it? Tell us in the comments.