Cottage cheese melts into a creamy sauce for pasta, turning a shelf staple into something warm and filling. The curds soften with heat and coat each strand; a little acid and fresh herbs lift it. Quick, cheap, and on the table in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 620 calories a serving, 22 g protein, 97 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 container daisy cottage cheese, small curd, 4% milkfat minimum, 8 ounces pasta, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion, 1 lemon, small bunch fresh dill or parsley.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of pasta until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water before draining.12 min
2. While the water heats, mince 2 garlic cloves and chop 1 small onion. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until soft and pale, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir the cottage cheese into the skillet along with 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Heat through without boiling, stirring often, until the curds warm and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.3 min
4. Tear a handful of fresh dill or parsley into the sauce and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Taste and add salt and pepper. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet and fold gently until coated.

Cook mode

Note Swap the herb for chopped chives or tarragon. Keeps in the fridge for two days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Serve with a green salad or roasted vegetables on the side to balance the richness.