Cottage Cheese Pesto

All you need are a handful of ingredients to make a simple homemade cottage cheese pesto! High in protein and full of delicious flavors, this cottage cheese pesto is perfect for so many recipes.

I’m the first in line to say I love Costco’s pesto sauce and it’s so convenient to pick some up at the store. However, lately, I’ve been trying to increase my protein and this cottage cheese pesto has been my secret ingredient! This cottage cheese pesto is such an easy way to amp up the protein in your meals.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super simple to make pesto at home. Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and you’ll get a pesto!
• The whipped cottage cheese makes for a wonderful creamy base. Thanks to the dreamy texture, you can use this as a cottage cheese pesto dip.
• The ingredients are flexible. Traditionally, basil pesto calls for pinenuts, but pinenuts can be costly and are not something I keep in my pantry. You can swap the nuts in this recipe with any other option such as walnuts like I do!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• cottage cheese — cottage cheese is a low-calorie cheese with a mild flavor. It’s soft, white, and creamy and comes in different milk fat levels and curd sizes. I’m using 2% MF (2% milk fat) and I usually just pick whichever container is on sale! The recipe is pretty flexible on that. However, keep in mind that using low-fat cottage cheese will make the base of the pesto less creamy. Cottage cheese is a wonderful source of protein, so it’ll leave you feeling satiated. Half a cup of 2% MF cottage cheese (110 grams) has 12 grams of protein!
• basil — feel free to add as much basil as you’d like!! I use 1½ to 2 cups of loosely packed basil, but you can use more or less. Fun fact, I usually freeze any extra basil I have on hand, because frozen basil actually makes for a tastier pesto!
• walnuts — like I mentioned earlier, pinenuts can be pricy, so I use walnuts as it’s what I have on hand. You can also use different nuts like almonds or cashews.
• garlic — fresh garlic is ideal. If you’re a garlicky person like myself, feel free to add extra.
• parmesan — freshly grated parmesan is ideal. I always have a giant block in the fridge from Costco. I do not recommend using shelf stabled powdered parmesan from a bottle.
• olive oil — like for most pestos and dips, use the best quality olive oil you’re able to get. Good quality olive oil adds a rich and fruity flavor and it also contains high levels of antioxidants and healthy fats.
• lemon — fresh lemon juice and lemon zest is mandatory! It adds such a lovely bright flavor.
• salt & pepper — to taste.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pesto

• To a food processor (or high speed blender), add the cottage cheese, basil, walnuts, garlic cloves, parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

• Blend until well combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• So you do get a much tastier pesto if you use a mortar and pestle, but for convenience, I use a food processor.
• Not just for pasta or grains (try adding pesto to rice!), you can serve this cottage cheese pesto with crusty bread, pita bread, pita chips, toast, bagel (air fryer bagel chips), crackers, or spread it in a sandwich (like my pesto chicken sandwich or pesto turkey sandwich). It also pairs well with avocado toast or hummus toast. You can also spread it over protein such as grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or turkey.
• Serve it with some vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and celery, like you would a dip.
• This recipe makes around 1½ cup, depending if you add more or less oil and basil.
• This is the food process that I use.

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: transfer leftover cottage cheese basil pesto to an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. If the pesto has thickened too much in the fridge for your liking, you can thin it out by adding olive oil to it.
• Freezer: I like to freeze pesto in single serving portions so I can thaw just the amount I need. However, I find that the texture of cottage cheese to change when frozen, so I don’t freeze this unless I really have to.

More Recipes to Try

• Tuna Dip
• Whipped Feta Dip
• Roasted Garlic Aioli
• White Bean Hummus

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