Due to everything that has been going on for the past month here in our country, I know most us haven’t been worried about things that aren’t a first priority. For those of you that don’t eat meat during lent on Friday.. even during this period that we are under going, this will be your ultimate Good Friday meal. This is one of my most favorite meatless meals off all time, aside from classic buttered noodles smothered with parmesan cheese. 

• The traditional way my grandmother used to make this dish that I grew up with is by using Farfalle pasta (also known as “bow ties” or “butterfly” noodles) but you can use whatever you Diamonds have on hand right now! 

        You can start this very simple, classic pasta dish by bringing salted water to a boil. 

     Boil your noodles until al dente! (To the tooth) 

While your pasta is dancing around in the steaming hot water, let’s get the “sauce” part of this ready. It is the most simplistic, yet delicious and addictive thing! Also, don’t worry.. if cottage cheese isn’t your thing; the flavor and texture changes so much as it melts. 

• In a sauce pan over medium low heat: fry one small red onion with a half stick of butter. (The tradition is to use a whole stick of butter, but I honestly like using more cheese than butter, and if you think it needs more butter after mixing everything together, than you can add more at the end for silkiness! I also added in a half of a container of cottage cheese to get everything started.

   On top of the mixture with the first half of cottage cheese, add another whole container of cottage cheese. For me one container isn’t enough, but two full containers might be too much for the average person! With that being said.. the amount of cheese you put into the pasta is left as being your option to use less, or more than me. 

     After perfectly boiling your pasta, drain it through a strainer, but do not rinse because you don’t want to cool down the pasta. We want everything to stay super hot so that all the cheese will get stuck inside of the nifty groves! 

This! This right here is exactly what you want to see right before diving in! There’s nothing more comforting especially during hard times than digging into a simple pasta dish with only a few ingredients, and with such creamy, caramelized flavor! Of course salt and pepper is essential to topping off any culinary creation, as well. 

I Promise you all that your whole family will be insanely satisfied with this last lenton dish! Even after lent is over, and the weather gets much warmer, this could be turned into an ideal side dish for a grill night outside on the patio! It’s just down right amazing, and it honestly holds a special place in my heart because it takes me back to having memories with my Grandma! I hope that is what all of you are doing right now with all your families.. making memories, and enjoying being with each other. Soak up every second of this holiday week, and I’ll see you soon Diamonds. XOXO