Linguine with Arugula Pesto (Printable Version)

Peppery arugula pesto with cottage cheese creates a bright, creamy sauce for tender linguine. Ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz linguine
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Arugula Pesto

03 - 3 cups fresh arugula, loosely packed
04 - 2/3 cup cottage cheese
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 garlic clove
07 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ To Serve

11 - Extra arugula leaves for garnish
12 - Additional grated Parmesan for topping
13 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, combine arugula, cottage cheese, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - Return the drained linguine to the pot. Add the arugula pesto and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
04 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra arugula, additional grated Parmesan, and a twist of black pepper.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent an hour on it.
  • The cottage cheese adds unexpected creaminess and a protein boost without any nuts.
  • That peppery arugula bite balanced with lemon makes every forkful feel bright and alive.
  • You can toss it together on a weeknight and still feel like you cooked something special.
02 -
  • If you skip saving the pasta water, the pesto can turn thick and clumpy instead of silky.
  • Blend the pesto until it's really smooth, any chunks of cottage cheese will look odd on the pasta.
  • Taste the pesto before tossing it with the pasta, it should be a little too salty and lemony on its own because the pasta will mellow it out.
03 -
  • Blend the pesto in short pulses at first to avoid overheating it, which can turn the arugula bitter.
  • If your cottage cheese is watery, drain it for a few minutes in a fine mesh strainer before blending.
  • Finish each bowl with a drizzle of your best olive oil, it makes the whole dish taste more expensive than it is.
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