15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (2024)

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This creamy garlic pastais fast, simple, and delicious! A weeknight favorite. This easy pasta recipe can be on your table in about 15 minutes!

15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (1)

Sometimes you just want comfort food. And fast. This pasta does this trick!

There’s plenty of creamy pasta recipes out there… some made with cream, and others with cream cheese or milk. You can’t beat the taste of real cream, in my opinion, so that’s what I went with. This recipe isn’t far off Fettuccine Alfredo, so if you like that, you’ll probably like this garlic parmesan pasta.

15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (2)

How to make creamy garlic pasta sauce (overview):

In a skillet, make a quick roux with the butter and flour, then stir in the garlic and chicken broth. You then add the cream and let the sauce thicken. Just prior to serving, add the parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Toss with the pasta and enjoy! (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

Sooo easy. And that creamy garlic sauce is so tasty.

15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (3)

Recipe notes & tips:

  • I like this pasta as-is, but it’s a great blank canvas for adding in cooked chicken or other type or protein. You could even add some veggies (try a handful of peas) if you wanted to.
  • I used linguine, but any kind of pasta (whatever’s in stock in your pantry!) will do. Penne would work great in this creamy pasta dish.
  • I definitely recommend adding the parsley because it livens the dish up a bit. The freshness and touch of green is the perfect balance to the decadence of the creamy sauce.
  • You could make this creamy pasta sauce with milk or half-and-half, but I haven’t tested it out. You’ll end up with a thinner sauce, but you will save some calories. If you do want to go that route, I suggest adding a touch more flour (but not too much more – you don’t want it to taste too floury) and/or cooking it for a bit longer so it reduces.
  • I used chicken broth because it adds a lot of flavor to this simple dish. You could sub with vegetable broth if you really need this dish to be vegetarian, but I do personally prefer the taste when you use chicken broth/stock.

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  • Lemon Parmesan Chicken Alfredo Recipe
  • Creamy Penne Pasta

15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (4)

I hope you will love this easy creamy garlic parmesan pasta recipe! Will you give it a try? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (5)

4.90 from 19 votes

Creamy Garlic Pasta

By Natasha Bull

This creamy garlic pastais fast, easy, and delicious! A weeknight favorite. This easy pasta recipe can be on your table in about 15 minutes!

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta I used linguine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley chopped, to taste

Instructions

  • Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.

  • When the pasta isn't far from being cooked, it's time to start the sauce. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and let the roux cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

  • Stir in the garlic and chicken broth and let it simmer for about a minute.

  • Add in the cream and let the sauce cook for a few more minutes until it's thickened to your liking, then add the parmesan cheese, salt & pepper as needed, and parsley. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce until well coated (add a little pasta water if you wish to thin the sauce a bit). Serve immediately.

Notes

  • I do all the prep while the pasta is cooking, so that's why I don't put anything for prep time.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 232mg, Potassium: 201mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1035IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

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15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (6)

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15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep pasta creamy for a long time? ›

Add some butter or olive oil to the pasta.

A little oil or butter will keep the cooked pasta from clumping and sticking as it dries out. Stir the oil or butter into the pasta until its coated lightly and evenly. This will make it much easier to reheat later on. 1-2 teaspoons should do for an average serving size.

What does heavy cream do to pasta sauce? ›

Cheese and dairy give sauces creaminess while butter and oil give them richness. You also don't need to use a lot — these are just for finishing and rounding out the flavors in a sauce. Whole Milk or Heavy Cream: Add a splash and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Which pasta is best for cream sauce? ›

As a general rule, pair the heartier sauces with the wider noodles: Wide ribbons like pappardelle pair well with rich, meaty sauces while the thinner flat noodles, like fettuccine or linguine, are best paired with simple cream sauces like Alfredo or delicate proteins like seafood.

Why does my pasta not stay creamy? ›

You don't properly cool the pasta.

"It's not wrong, and I have done it before in the past [but] to make a more creamy pasta dish after cooking the pasta, drain it, and cool it on a sheet tray," he advises.

What chemical keeps mac and cheese creamy? ›

Sodium citrate makes for a silky smooth cheese sauce, just like the boxed stuff, but even better because we use cheddar and Gruyère.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for creamy pasta? ›

Whole milk is an excellent substitute for heavy cream. It adds richness to your pasta sauce without the excess fat. Simply simmer your favourite pasta sauce with whole milk until it thickens to your desired consistency. The result is a velvety and indulgent sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta.

Is it better to cook pasta with heavy cream or cream? ›

Will pasta sauce work with whipping cream? You can easily make a sauce for pasta with heavy cream or whipping cream. Heavy cream will give you better results because it has a higher fat content, but whipping cream will be fine.

Is milk or heavy cream better for pasta? ›

Yes. Use whole milk and stir in a flour-butter mixture to thicken and enrich pasta dishes instead of heavy cream. Is heavy cream or milk better? Heavy cream provides more fat, richness, and thickness.

What is the difference between heavy cream and heavy whipping cream? ›

According to the labeling standards of the Food and Drug Administration, heavy cream is a cream with no less than 36% milk fat. It may also be called heavy whipping cream (1). In contrast, whipping cream has a slightly lower milk fat content, 30–36%. It may also be called light whipping cream (2).

Can you add heavy cream to jar pasta sauce? ›

Heavy cream will transform your sauce

Adding heavy cream to your jarred tomato sauce can transform it into a thicker, richer, creamy sauce that is velvety smooth. Your favorite premade sauce will not only become lighter in color, the cream will add a new depth of flavor to it.

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing? ›

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

What's the difference between alfredo sauce and cream sauce? ›

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

Can you substitute cream cheese for heavy cream in pasta sauce? ›

Cream cheese will work as a one-to-one substitute for heavy cream. Keep in mind that cream cheese may alter the taste and texture of the final product, so make sure to use it in suitable recipes in which the flavors will work together, such as in creamy soups or cheesy sauces.

Is cream sauce the same as alfredo sauce? ›

Alfredo sauce is a classic cream sauce used in countless pasta dishes. Also known as a white sauce or “pasta in blanco”, alfredo blends simple ingredients and turns them into a rich, indulgent delight.

How long does cooked creamy pasta last? ›

7 days is the recommended time in the fridge for cream-based sauces. The reason being is usually the cream-based sauces have ingredients that are better in the cold than a tomato, such as heavy cream. This would include our alfredo, Cajun alfredo, pesto cream, white clam, and beer cheese sauces.

How to make day old pasta creamy? ›

that's what I do - put the pasta and sauce in a pan with a little extra cream or half&half, whatever you have handy. As it gets warm, stir everything together to loosen the pasta and pseudo-emulsify the sauce.

How do you make pasta not dry the next day? ›

Stir in a Splash of Pasta Water Before Refrigerating. Before you even pack away your leftovers, add a splash of pasta water to the container with the pasta. The water will help keep your pasta and sauce moist as it sits in the fridge, avoiding that big, dry clump you usually see the next day.

How do you keep pasta soft for the next day? ›

Cooked pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within two days. Pasta that has been cooked but has not been mixed with sauce should be tossed with extra-virgin olive oil prior to being stored to avoid clumping.

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