Wanting to add more vegetables to your diet but you can convince yourself (or your family) to eat it? Love the idea of cottage cheese but can fathom the texture even though it’s a great source of protein? Well, look no further. This homemade pasta sauce will absolutely make your jaw drop. It’s a great source of protein, especially when paired with a special type of noodle.
With just a little prep work and a food processor or blender, you are well on your way to preparing one of the best hidden vegetable and protein hacks out there. I honestly was so shocked this recipe worked out and we now use it in place of jarred pasta sauce as often as possible.
Here are some of the ingredients in this Homemade Pasta Sauce:
Bell Peppers
You’ll need a least two large bell peppers. I should have used (2) red bell peppers but all I had on hand was (1) red and (1) orange. Use whatever kind of bell pepper you want just know that it will slightly change the color so you’ll want to consider that before you grab a purple variation!
This is the longest part of the recipe because you need to peel the skins off first, then chop them into quarters, and THEN place them in the oven soften. As long as you’re letting them cook while you prepare the rest of the meal, it shouldn’t take too long!
Cottage Cheese
This is where the high protein comes in. Homemade Pasta Sauce isn’t usually know for it’s protein profile however, in this case we are upping the ante and it makes such a huge difference.
Now, I’ll be honest, I am not one to eat straight cottage cheese. The texture and taste get to me so I try to use it in recipes however I can so it isn’t by itself. Pop this into the food processor and you won’t even know it’s there.
I used low fat cottage cheese however, you can use a different kind if that suits you better. Get creative, just like with most of my other recipes!
Bone Broth
Not only this adding to the high protein profile of this sauce, it also thins out the thickness of the steamed bell peppers and cottage cheese.
I used chicken broth but I’m sure you could use other types. Again, just know it might change the flavor slightly.
Other Ingredients
You can add whatever you’d like from here. I love garlic powder so that is what I added. I love Kinder’s Buttery Garlic & Herb seasoning so I added that for flavor.
A little salt, some avocado oil and an accidental huge drop of more garlic powder, and there you have it folks! I also added a drop of Tomato Paste which made the color darker and less white/creamy.
So if you’re interested in trying a new recipe which frankly could just be eaten with some Barilla’s Protein+ noodles for a complete meal, then this is it! Check it out below.
And if pasta sauce isn’t something you want to spend time making, check out this one pan easy dinner which includes tater tots!
Homemade Protein Pepper Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor or blender
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Medium Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Large Bell Peppers (Red or Orange) Steamed
- 1 Cup Cottage Cheese I used low fat
- 1/4 Cup Bone Broth chicken or beef (I used chicken)
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste optional (I used it to change the color to more of a red)
- 2 Tbsp Garlic more or less as desired
- 1 Tbsp Kinder's Buttery Garlic & Herb more or less as desired
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil can use other oils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Chop bell peppers into quarters and place on baking sheet.
- Cook until tender.
- In a food processor (or blender), combine all other ingredients.
- Once peppers are cooled, place them in the food process and blend until smooth.
- Place mixture into a medium size sauce pan and stir occasionally.
- Once to the desired temperature and thickness, pour over pasta or other desired food.
