This creamy garlic pasta is fast, simple, and delicious! A weeknight favorite. This easy pasta recipe can be on your table in about 15 minutes!
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.
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.
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.
You may also like...
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
- 15 Minute Creamy Alfredo Gnocchi
- Easy Shrimp Alfredo
- Lemon Parmesan Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Creamy Penne Pasta
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.
Creamy Garlic Pasta
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.
Joann Sauer says
This came out really good! I added spinach and chicken
Natasha says
Excellent!
JimmyB says
I'm thinking of trying this with shrimp. Do you think the shrimp would cook enough in the sauce or should I partially cook them first? Thank you.
Natasha says
Hi! I think if you add them in step 4 it should give them enough time to cook. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Yana says
My teen daughter found and made it - so delicious! Keeping this recipe for sure. Will try with seafood next time.Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! So glad it was a hit! 🙂
gail w turner says
Wow this is the first time I have found a recipe with a slider. What a great idea!!! The pasta was delicious too!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you found it helpful and enjoyed the recipe, Gail! 🙂
nina says
can you wait a few hours before serving the sauce?
Natasha says
Hi! So, typically cream sauces don't always keep/reheat that well. If you're planning this for a party or guests, you may want to do a test run to see how it goes. You'd want to warm it up over a low heat so it doesn't separate.
Connor says
Wow my family loved this! Its my first time cooking this and Yum! (Can you please add like a 2 times (8 servings) and 3 times (12 servings) cause I have a bigger family.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it! Actually if you look in the recipe card where it shows servings, you can adjust it with the slider. 🙂
Connor says
Oh i didn't see that sorry. it was still really good
Natasha says
No worries! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Yasmin says
I really enjoy the simple meal, I was not feeling too well and I didn’t want to Cork but at the same time I didn’t wanna have a takeout. I’m trying to start a diet or lifestyle change . I have a question to ask could you also put alternatives i.e. cream for Greek yoghurt or quark etc to eat those who are on a weight loss journey or lactose intolerant. I thoroughly did enjoy doing this with the alternatives I will give you plus plus
Natasha says
Hi! I use the higher fat dairy products for recipes like these because the results are better (taste, texture, and heavy cream doesn't curdle as easily). You can definitely do some experimenting, but unfortunately creamy sauces just don't tend to work as well with the lower fat alternatives.
Austin says
Do you double the recipe if using 16oz of pasta instead of 8oz ?
Natasha says
I would say that's probably a good idea if you want lots of sauce 🙂
Dee says
Beautiful, I fancied creamy garlic pasta and came across this recipe. Very easy and tasted gorgeous. Big thumbs up from mom & myself 🙂
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thank you Dee!
Kate says
Made this for the first time recently and really enjoyed it. Full of flavour and very easy and quick to make!
Natasha says
That's awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Kate!
Julia says
Hi Natasha, this was absolutely delicious. Thank you. Will become a regular on our menu with the chicken I baked. Julia
Natasha says
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Dina says
Hi Natasha ! Loved the recipe and it turned out to be delicious. Extremely simple and tasty! Thanks for sharing. Dina
Natasha says
I'm so happy you like it, Dina 🙂
[email protected] says
Oh.My.How.Delicious! I prepared this dish one evening last week about 9 PM. It was our first week of working from home and home/crisis schooling and also taking care of my husband's 90 year old Mother. I used what I had open and on its last day of freshness. I had 1/2 box of fettuccine and a 1/2 carton of Half and Half open. I also had a few cremini mushrooms at the end of freshness and no shallot. I tossed in a sprinkle of dried minced onion just for flavor while sauteing 3 large garlic cloves & mushroom. The next day for lunch, I warmed the leftovers with a splash of chicken broth and a splash of whole milk along with a handful of leftover broccoli florets from another night's dinner and more freshly grated Parmesan. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. It was comfort food at its best.
Natasha says
I'm so glad it inspired you to use up what you had in the fridge! 🙂 XO
KB says
This was so simple and tasty! Will be making these plenty of times in the future!9
Natasha says
Excellent!! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Kelly says
Wonderful recipe and easy to follow! We made this for a Christmas Eve family dinner and it was a hit! We ground up some spicy chicken sausage and added it to the dish. We also served this delicious dish with a side salad. It was perfect! Next time we’ll make homemade pasta 🙂 Oh and the leftovers the next day were just as delicious! We’ll definitely be adding this into our dinner rotation!
Natasha says
So happy that it was a hit, Kelly!! Love the sausage idea. 🙂
Audrey says
WOW!!!! So simple yet one of the best dishes I’ve ever made!!! My 9 year old and I LOVED this! Thank you for sharing! I doubled the recipe and added crushed red peppers to my personal serving. 5 stars!!
Natasha says
Aww I'm so glad to hear it, Audrey!! Thanks for letting me know 😀
Charlotte says
Oh my. Gosh. Tried this tonight at 12.45am.i was craving creamy pasta. It was absolutely delicious. Restaurant quality. Definitely try it!!
Natasha says
So happy to hear it!! Great time to make pasta hehehe. 🙂
Rebekah says
Delicious! I made it for lunch because I was sick and I figured I should treat myself to something special. It tastes SO good! Five stars. 🙂 (I'll be adding this to my recipe book)
Also, you can substitute heavy cream with half and half if you don't have cream. 🙂
Natasha says
Aww so happy you liked it! Hope you feel better soon! Re: half-and-half, you may need to cook it a little longer or add more flour to get the sauce to thicken up the same.
Marge H says
This was good! Made it for dinner last night. I used rigatoni pasta threw some broccoli into the water before pasta was done cooking. Added sauteed onions,peppers and zucchini and a little left over roasted chicken at the end. I also sliced my garlic (a little extra) and cooked it in the sauce. My picky husband raved about it.
Natasha says
Yay I am so happy you liked it! Love your additions.
Elizabeth says
I made it with GF pasta, added 2 tbs low fat cream cheese, 2 % milk, extra garlic and fresh shrimp I sauteed in a bit of olive oil..also use fresh parm and Romano...we enjoyed it...thanks for the idea...it really brought it up a few notches 🙂
Natasha says
Your adaptations sound delicious!
Rachel says
Can I substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth?
Natasha says
Absolutely!
Eliza says
Yum! I made this tonight for dinner. It was a hit! So delicious & easy. It’s added to my recipe box. I paired it with peas & it was delicious!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
KBF says
What kind of vegetable would pair well with this?
Natasha says
I'd serve this with a salad. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Sally Inada says
I did eat a side romaine, endive & radicchio salad. I used some of the last of the salad to wipe out The leftover sauce in my bowl. Tasted great. Yum.
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Sally! 🙂
Lori P says
This link popped up in my google feed! I am definitely adding this recipe to my meal plan this week. Yum! 🙂
Natasha says
Enjoy!! 🙂
Carol phillips says
I love this recipe but is it free able after cooking it? I like to have things already cooked then cool & put in freezer for later!
Natasha says
Hi Carol! Unfortunately, I don't find creamy pastas tend to reheat that well. Freezing it will likely made the sauce separate and the pasta turn mushy.