🍝 High-Protein Chicken Sausage Pasta (Gluten-Free & Ready in 15 Minutes)

A crowd pleasing, protein packed dinner with only 4 ingredients, kid approved and busy-mom tested.

One of my absolute favorite go-to meals is this chicken sausage pasta dish. It’s so good, we’ve made it for everything…weeknight dinners, camping trips, potlucks, and even “appetizer night” around the fire. It’s a hit with kids and adults, and if you have a husband like mine who can’t stop at one serving… you might not have leftovers (but that’s okay because it’s so easy you can make it again tomorrow).

This dish is macro-balanced, gluten-free, and high in protein, thanks to a few smart swaps. Plus, it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Four main ingredients. No overthinking. Just real food, real fast.

🛒 Ingredients

(Serves 4—with possible leftovers… unless someone goes back for thirds)

5 chicken apple sausage links
(We buy the packs from Costco—one pack stretches across 3 meals)
1 box gluten free pasta
(We love Banza brand made from chickpeas—super high in protein!)
1 cup cottage cheese
(Blended smooth—trust me on this)
1 jar marinara sauce
(Use your favorite—mine’s always the garlic flavored kind)

Optional but delish:

Garlic salt, Italian seasoning, shredded mozzarella, or a side of gluten-free garlic bread

🍳 Instructions

Boil the pasta according to the box instructions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta’s cooking, blend your cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. (This gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture without the heavy cream or extra calories.)
Slice your chicken sausage links into bite sized pieces.
In a hot skillet, brown the sausage for a few minutes until it gets a light crisp on the outside.
Add your marinara sauce and blended cottage cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Toss in your cooked pasta, give it all a good mix, and let it warm through for a couple of minutes.
Serve hot and with any extra toppings you love!