This High Protein Green Pasta Sauce is made with spinach, basil, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese for a delightful and simple sauce! One serving of just the sauce provides 10 grams of protein.
Why You’ll Love High Protein Green Pasta Sauce
Pasta is one of my favorite carbs, but eating it with tomato sauce every time gets a bit repetitive. This High Protein Green Pasta Sauce is a great alternative that gets in vegetables and protein! Cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese make this sauce creamy and high in protein. Each serving of sauce has 10 grams of protein!
It’s an easy sauce to make! Simply blend the spinach, basil, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic for a creamy, high protein pasta sauce!
I paired the sauce with a ground beef and onion to get in more protein. You can serve this sauce with pasta alone or use chicken or any other protein you like.
Ingredients
Green Pasta Sauce
- Spinach: filled with nutrients, including vitamins A, K, and C, folate, magnesium, and iron.
- Basil: very flavorful and contains antioxidants, including lutein and beta-carotene.
- Cottage cheese: makes the sauce creamy and high in protein.
- Parmesan cheese: adds flavor and more protein.
- Lemon juice: adds flavor and liquid to lighten up the sauce.
- Olive oil: provides healthy fats.
- Garlic: adds flavor.
Pasta & Meat
- Pasta: the carb source. I used fusilli pasta, but any pasta can be used.
- Ground beef: the main protein source for the meal. I prefer to use lean ground beef, but any meat will work.
- Onion: adds flavor and more micronutrients.
- Salt & pepper: to taste
How to Make High Protein Green Pasta Sauce
PASTA: make pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water for pasta sauce.
BEEF: in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tsp olive oil. Then, add onion. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble ground beef and cook until browned.
GREEN PASTA SAUCE: In a food processor or large blender, add spinach, basil, cottage cheese, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and water. Blend until smooth per your preference.
COMBINE: Add sauce to skillet with beef. Bring to a light boil over medium-heat for a few minutes. Stir in pasta and mix to combine Serve warm with optional grated parmesan cheese on top.
Tips
- Green Pasta Sauce nutrition facts per serving: 150 calories, 10 g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat. Nutrition facts below include beef and pasta.
- Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- Pair sauce with your favorite pasta or use to add flavor to chicken.
Try These Meal Prep Recipes Next
- Healthy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
- Easy Cottage Cheese Tomato Sauce Pasta Meal Prep
- Chicken & Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
- High Protein Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet Meal Prep
Get My Free Meal Plan
Do you struggle with knowing what to meal prep for the week? Check out my FREE meal plan for a week of high protein meal prep recipes and get my favorite healthy snacks and quick meals. Get it here.
High Protein Green Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 food processor or large blender
Ingredients
Pasta & Beef
- 8 oz dry fusilli pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- salt & pepper to taste
High Protein Green Pasta Sauce
- 4 oz baby spinach
- 2 oz basil leaves
- 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon for juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- PASTA: make pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water for pasta sauce.
- BEEF: in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tsp olive oil. Then, add onion. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble ground beef and cook until browned.
- GREEN PASTA SAUCE: In a food processor or large blender, add spinach, basil, cottage cheese, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and water. Blend until smooth per your preference.
- COMBINE: Add sauce to skillet with beef. Bring to a light boil over medium-heat for a few minutes. Stir in pasta and mix to combine Serve warm with optional grated parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- Green Pasta Sauce nutrition facts per serving: 150 calories, 10 g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat. Nutrition facts below include beef and pasta.
- Store in airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Pair sauce with your favorite pasta or use to add flavor to chicken.
Made this after a long day of travel! So easy and so so yummy. Fire recipe
Thanks Amelia! Glad you liked it! My goal is easy and tasty recipes.