Cream Cheese Pasta is the ultimate in easy cheesy comfort food!
With just 5 ingredients and 12 minutes of your time, you could be sitting down to this cozy and delicious cream cheese pasta.
The secret to the velvety smooth sauce in this dish is using the pasta cooking water.
We incorporate the starchy pasta water with the cream cheese as it melts in the pan to give us a lusciously creamy, cheesy sauce.
Best of all, this ridiculously easy pasta recipe makes the perfect base for adding extra ingredients to customize this dish and make it your own.
Table of Contents
Why you will love cream cheese pasta
- 5 ingredients (without salt and pepper)
- 12 minutes
- Fast comfort food
What you need to make cream cheese pasta
- pasta - I have used spaghetti
- cream cheese - I use Philadelphia cream cheese
- parmesan cheese - I use freshly grated parmesan
- olive oil
- fresh garlic
- salt and pepper
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make cream cheese pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Before draining pasta, scoop out 1 - 2 cups of pasta cooking water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, gently heat the olive oil and garlic in a fry pan.
- Add cream cheese and stir over medium heat to melt, gradually adding the pasta water to make a smooth sauce.
- Mix in parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add cooked pasta and stir to coat in sauce.
Top tips
- I recommend removing the center "core" from your garlic cloves for this recipe. This will give you a smoother, less harsh garlic flavour.
- Cook the garlic gently over low heat. We are aiming to infuse the flavour of the garlic into the oil rather than fry the garlic.
- You want to scoop out the pasta cooking water right near the end of the pasta cooking time. This means it will be nice and starchy.
- Add the starchy pasta water gradually to the cream cheese, this makes it easier to incorporate plus you don't risk adding too much.
- The amount of pasta water to add is up to you, but remember the sauce will start to thicken as soon as it comes off the heat.
Ideas for additions
- Bacon
- Ham
- Mushrooms
- Leftover shredded chicken
Serving suggestions
- This pasta recipe works well as a side dish for protein.
- Also great by itself!
Other recipes you may enjoy
Four Ingredient Potato Soup - just a few basic ingredients to give you a comforting one pot soup the family will love, plus it's easy to customize to suit your taste.
Chicken Pasta Bake - leftover shredded chicken, smoky bacon and pasta all coated in a simple 2 ingredient cheese sauce.
Pasta Carbonara Oven Bake - a luscious, creamy baked version of pasta carbonara loaded with parmesan cheese and traditional pancetta.
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce - learn how to make restaurant quality lemon garlic butter sauce in three quick steps using only lemon, garlic, butter and salt in only 5 minutes!
Sriracha Aioli - this a quick and tasty homemade condiment for fish tacos, steaks or burgers. Also an awesome spicy dipping sauce for your french fries.
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Pasta (With Video)
Ingredients
- 300 g dried pasta I used spaghetti
- 180 g cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 fresh garlic cloves cores removed (see my notes) and crushed
- 40 g fresh parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the packet instructions.300 g dried pasta
- Just before draining pasta, scoop out 1 - 2 cups of pasta cooking water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, gently heat the olive oil in a frypan, then add garlic and cook over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil2 fresh garlic cloves
- Add cream cheese and stir over medium heat to melt, gradually adding reserved pasta water until the sauce is smooth and the consistency you want.180 g cream cheese
- Mix in parmesan cheese, and season to taste.40 g fresh parmesan cheesesalt and pepper to taste
- Add drained pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I recommend removing the center "core" from your garlic cloves for this recipe. This will give you a smoother, less harsh garlic flavour.
- Cook the garlic gently over low heat. We are aiming to infuse the flavour of the garlic into the oil rather than fry the garlic.
- You want to scoop out the pasta cooking water right near the end of the pasta cooking time. This means it will be nice and starchy.
- Add the starchy pasta water gradually to the cream cheese, this makes it easier to incorporate plus you don't risk adding too much.
- The amount of pasta water to add is up to you, but remember the sauce will start to thicken as soon as it comes off the heat.
You were right, this was super easy and picky husband loved the taste and has requested more! Thanks.
Awesome Janice!