Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta & Tomatoes

• Penne(320 g)
• Cottage Cheese(300 g)
• Parmesan(40 g)
• Cherry Tomatoes(300 g)
• Tomato paste(1 tbsp)
• Garlic(3 cloves)
• Fresh basil(10 g)
• Olive oil(1 tbsp)
• Salt(1½ tsp)
• Black pepper(½ tsp)
• Chili flakes(¼ tsp)optional

Method

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, halve {Cherry Tomatoes}, finely chop {Garlic}, tear most of the {Fresh basil}, and set a little basil aside for serving.

   ~8 min

2. 2

   Cook {Penne} in the boiling water until just al dente. Reserve 250ml pasta water, then drain.

   ~10 min

3. 3

   While the pasta cooks, blend {Cottage Cheese}, {Parmesan}, {Tomato paste}, {Salt}, and {Black pepper} with 120ml reserved pasta water until smooth and creamy.

   ~2 min

4. 4

   Heat {Olive oil} in the empty pot over medium heat. Add {Garlic}, {Cherry Tomatoes}, and {Chili flakes}. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften and start to burst into a jammy sauce.

   ~5 min

5. 5

   Return the drained {Penne} to the pot with the tomato mixture. Pour in the cottage cheese sauce and add splashes of the remaining pasta water as needed. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and coats the pasta, then fold in most of the {Fresh basil}.

   ~2 min

6. 6

   Serve in warm bowls with the reserved basil scattered over the top.

   ~1 min