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bowl of pasta on a white table cloth.
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Easy Cream Cheese Pasta

Our favorite cream cheese pasta recipe is made with just a few ingredients and is ready in about 15 minutes.
Course Main Course, Pasta Recipes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 772kcal
Author Adina

Equipment

  • Large cooking pot
  • Large pan or skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta 450 g, Note 1
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves or more to taste
  • 1 ⅓ cup cream cheese 10.5 oz/ 300 g, Note 2
  • 1 cup milk 230 ml, Note 3
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan + more to serve, Note 4
  • 2 tablespoons parsley or basil chopped, Note 5
  • fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
    1 lb (450 g) pasta

In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients.

  • Grate the garlic cloves and set them aside.
    3 garlic cloves
  • Whisk the cream cheese, milk, some salt, and pepper in a bowl and set them aside.
    1 ⅓ cups (300 g) cream cheese + 1 cup (230 ml) milk + salt and pepper to taste
  • Grate Parmesan and set it aside.
    2 tablespoon Parmesan
  • Chop the herbs finely.
    2 tablespoon fresh parsley or basil
  • Cream cheese sauce: Only start cooking the sauce a couple of minutes before draining the pasta. Sauté: Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic on low heat for about 30 seconds; it should get golden but not brown.
  • Add the cream cheese-milk mixture and stir well until smooth. Add the chopped herbs and Parmesan and combine.
  • Add the drained pasta and a splash of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to combine; the pasta should be creamy and coated with the sauce. If necessary, add a bit more pasta cooking water until the sauce has the right consistency.
  • Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately with more Parmesan and herbs sprinkled on top.

Notes

  1. Pasta: Linguine, spaghetti, or tagliatelle are great, but any pasta shape (short or long) is excellent.
  2. Dairy: Using full-fat cream cheese and whole or semi-skimmed milk is preferable.
  3. The amount of milk and pasta cooking water you need will depend on the sort of cream cheese you are using. Cream cheese sold in a block is stiffer and requires more liquid to make it smooth. Cream cheese sold in a tub is creamier and softer.
  4. Parmesan: I recommend using freshly grated Parmesan from a wedge of cheese. If using pre-grated Parmesan, start with about 1 tablespoon and add more to taste (freshly grated Parmesan is fluffier and has more volume). You can also cook the dish without Parmesan; it will still be delicious.
  5. Herbs: Either fresh basil or parsley; I use what I happen to have.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion from 4 | Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1322IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg