Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad
Published 7/14/2025
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This creamy cottage cheese pasta salad packs a bright, lemon-y flavors thanks to the blended cottage cheese lemon poppyseed dressing. I love that it’s protein-packed, and perfect for summer meals — you’ll find me serving this at pretty much every backyard BBQ.
My gosh do I love pasta salad season! And Fit Foodie has been on a serious ROLL with the yummy, nutrient-dense pasta salad recipes recently 👀👀. A few of my personal faves? This bow tie pasta salad with a creamy hummus dressing, this pesto tortellini pasta salad, and who could forget this epic cottage cheese roasted red pepper pasta salad.
And that’s why I’m so dang excited to finally get this lemon poppyseed pasta salad recipe up on the site! You bet I made sure blended cottage cheese was the base of the amazing lemon poppyseed dressing 😋 And because Linley can’t stop won’t stop with butter beans, of course those are in here, too.
recipe highlights ⤵️
- Protein-packed! Thanks to the blended cottage cheese dressing and butter beans.
- Light, bright and oh so fresh tasting. Aka perfect for summer BBQs.
- Ready to serve in 30 minutes flat, so you can get back outside and enjoy the summer.
- So creamy and yummy 😋
Spotlight-Worthy Ingredients
- Blended cottage cheese: the base of this amazing lemon poppyseed dressing! Feel free to substitute 1:1 for plain Greek yogurt if need be.
- Mafada pasta: any small pasta will work! I love the squiggly look of mafada pasta (what this recipe was photographed with!), but elbow macaroni, penne or bow tie would also be fun!
- Balsamic glaze: you’ll finish off the pasta salad with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, which is different than balsamic vinegar — it’s basically a balsamic reduction, which is sweeter and more syrup-y than balsamic vinegar.
- Butter beans: these giant, flat beans add great buttery flavor and creamy texture to this pasta salad. They’re available canned at most grocers.
- Fresh basil: you’ll rip a whole cup of fresh basil leaves for this recipe. Ripping the basil helps draw out the amazing flavor without wilting the leaves too much.
- Pine nuts: toasted pine nuts get added right at the end with the balsamic glaze. Yum!
Find the list of full ingredients in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad
Making this pasta salad is easy peasy. Like ready to serve in 30 minutes flat easy. All you need to do is boil the pasta to al dente, blend up the ingredients for the lemon poppyseed dressing, chop the red pepper and onions, and then assemble the pasta salad in one bowl. Top with pine nuts and balsamic glaze, and you’re ready to enjoy 🥰.
Tip! Thin Out the Dressing
Dressing a bit too thick for your liking? Feel free to thin it out with 1 tablespoon of olive oil at at time and then mix again until it’s thin enough.
Perfect Pairings
Pair this creamy pasta salad with Grilled California Chicken for a similar flavor profile, or step up your burger game with tasty options like my hearty Mushroom Swiss Burger or Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers. The light and creamy salad is the perfect match for those savory, rich flavors!
If you’re firing up the grill, Juicy Grilled Pork Chops are delish alongside this pasta salad, or No-Fail Baby Back Ribs (made in the oven or on the grill) are always a go-to for BBQs at my house.
Storing Leftover Pasta Salad
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Toss with additional fresh basil and balsamic glaze to freshen things up before serving 🥰.
More Pasta Salad Recipes I Love
- Taco Pasta Salad
- Creamy Greek Pasta Salad
- Sesame Noodle Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Looking for more salad ideas? Here are 36 of my fave salad recipes ❤️
Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. mafada pasta
- 1 large red pepper, minced
- ¼ medium red onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 15 oz. large butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, separated
- ¾ cup blended cottage cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds
- Zest from 2 large lemons
- 1 cup ripped basil leaves, ~20 leaves
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked to al dente. Strain the water and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Add the red pepper, onion, and butter beans to a large salad bowl and toss with vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
- Prepare the dressing. Add the blended cottage cheese, garlic, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and the remaining salt to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta and fresh basil to the bowl with the peppers, onions, and beans. Mix to combine. Add the dressing and stir again.
- Top with pine nuts and balsamic glaze.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate and let the salad rest to absorb all of the delicious flavors.
Tips & Notes
- Any type of small pasta can be used for this recipe.
- If the dressing feels too thick, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
