Recipe: Easy, high-protein pasta sauce

If you have followed food trends in 2026, you know that protein is a hot topic. And I’ll admit, I have fallen for it. I have found myself adding protein milk to my morning coffee instead of creamer, testing out protein shakes instead of a mid-day snack, and scrolling through feeds on the topic in search of more ways to boost my protein intake with ease.

An essential nutrient, protein can be found in many foods. Your body uses it for functions such as energy, to repair cells, and to boost your immune system. So, how much protein do you really need?

According to HealthLinkBC, a healthy adult over the age of 19 requires approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, an adult who weighs 80 kg (176 lbs) needs about 64 grams of protein each day, while an adult who weighs 65 kg (143 lbs) needs about 52 grams of protein each day.

During a recent weeknight dinner hour that saw me with a soon-to-expire tub of cottage cheese in the fridge, I decided to try making a high-protein pasta sauce. With just a few ingredients, and ringing in at around 20 grams of protein per serving, it was a satisfying sauce that tasted good and had me feeling pretty proud of my “proteinmaxxing” status for the day.

Easy, high-protein pasta sauce

• 1 cup (250 mL) cottage cheese
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Salt, to taste

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) reserved pasta water

Place the cottage cheese, pasta sauce, minced garlic and Italian seasoning into a blender.

Pulse until desired texture. Add in olive oil. Pulse again.

After bringing a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pasta of your choice (I used a pack of Olivieri Rainbow Three Cheese Tortellini) to the package instructions, reserving about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain pasta and put it in a bowl. Add the blended sauce into your cooking pan over low heat.

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water into blended sauce and stir. You can add more water to thin out the sauce to your desired thickness. Add salt, to taste.

Heat until just warm. Return your pasta to the pan and stir to coat. Portion out servings of pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 6.