An easy alternative to a classic alfredo sauce, Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce requires just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes to make. You’ll enjoy this pasta with creamy sauce as a simple side dish, or add your favorite protein to make a gourmet pasta dish in minutes.
I love making Fettuccine Alfredo with homemade sauce, but that sauce takes a bit to make. It takes a bit of time, and a bit of preparation and focus to get a traditional alfredo perfect.
Cream Cheese Pasta tastes very much like a traditional alfredo sauce, but it’s way easier to make since there’s no need to make a roux with flour. That also makes this a gluten-free cream cheese sauce and will be delicious on your favorite gluten-free pasta.
If you love the idea of adding cream cheese to make a pasta sauce, you should also try my Boursin Mashed Potatoes where I add Boursin creamy cheese with garlic and herbs!
Love Pasta? Me too! This recipe is just a small step up from my Buttered Noodles recipe and my Garlic Butter Pasta recipe. All three are easy and economical pasta recipes that you can make in a short amount of time.
Want a pasta dish with a bright and tangy flavor? Try Creamy Lemon Pasta.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter and Garlic: This creamy pasta sauce starts with a bit of butter sauteed briefly with fresh minced garlic.
- Cream Cheese: We are making pasta with a cream cheese sauce! I highly recommend that you use full-fat cream cheese for the best, most creamy results.
- Pasta Water: When you cook the pasta to go with this sauce, save about 1 cup of the cooking water before you drain it away.
- Parmesan Cheese: This tangy, salty cheese adds tons of flavor to the cream cheese sauce.
- Salt, Pepper, and Chopped Parsley: The last layers of flavor come from these. Salt and pepper are a must, and parsley adds a fresh herbal note.
- Pasta: You’re also going to need some pasta to go with this sauce. Choose your favorite shape and plan to cook it right before you make this recipe to go on top of it.
How to Make Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Cook Pasta: In a saucepan over medium heat bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the noodles. Then cook the noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Sauté Garlic: In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat and sauté garlic very lightly without allowing it to brown. This should be no more than 30 seconds.
- Melt the Cream Cheese: Add cream cheese and 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Use a whisk and allow the cream cheese to melt into the sauce as you whisk that together to emulsify the sauce.
- Finish: Add parmesan cheese, whisking until it melts, then season with ground black pepper and salt. Be sure to taste your sauce as you season. Parmesan is salty so you may not need as much salt as you think. Remove the sauce from the heat.
- Toss with Pasta: Add the cooked pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss using kitchen tongs until the sauce coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
Tip!
Be careful not to overcook and dry out the sauce, as soon as it comes together and reaches the perfect consistency remove the pan from the heat.
What To Serve with Cream Cheese Pasta
This creamy, savory pasta side dish is delicious with so many things. I love to serve this with simple protein entrees like Air Fryer Grilled Chicken Tenders a Grilled Steak, or Bacon Wrapped Chicken.
Pasta with cream cheese sauce is delicious with Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, or any of your favorite Italian meals.
Serve this pasta with a healthy and delicious salad, like this Kale Salad or Brussels Sprout Salad.
Turn cream cheese pasta into a gourmet pasta entree by stirring in your favorite cooked protein and veggies. Try diced chicken or steak, and sauteed mushrooms and spinach.
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There’s no need to rinse the pasta after draining it. We want it to stay nice and hot.
Pasta water is a combination of hot water and starches given off by the cooked pasta. The starch helps to make a thickened sauce that sticks to the pasta.
Check out this guide I made that walks you through how to cook perfect pasta and gives you all of my best pasta-making tips and tricks.
More Delicious Pasta Sauces To Try
All Pasta Recipes ➜
This recipe is going to really elevate your dinner routine! Enjoy serving cream cheese pasta to your family, they are going to love it.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) uncooked pasta any shape
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (250ml) liquid reserved pasta water, water, vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the noodles. Then cook the noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat and sauté garlic very lightly without allowing it to brown. This should be no more than 30 seconds.
- Add cream cheese and 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Use a whisk and allow the cream cheese to melt into the sauce as you whisk that together to emulsify the sauce.
- Add parmesan cheese, whisking until it melts, then season with ground black pepper and salt. Be sure to taste your sauce as you season. Parmesan is salty so you may not need as much salt as you think. Remove the sauce from the heat.
- Add the cooked pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss using kitchen tongs until the sauce coats the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
Notes:
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Rachael says
Made this for my picky 1 year old and he LOVED it! Thank you for giving me another recipe to add to my list. Worked great on chickpea pasta and added chicken for extra protein.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I love to hear that it’s kid-approved! Thank you so much, Rachel.
Ally says
Quick and easy for my first time making Alfredo; my mother-in-law even liked it, if that tells you anything !
Diana says
I’m happy to hear it was quick and easy, Ally! Impressing your mother-in-law is quite an endorsement. Thanks for letting me know!