Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Printable Version)

A creamy garlic sauce coats pasta and broccoli, delivering a rich and satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine

→ Vegetables

02 - 10 oz broccoli florets

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced
05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - ½ cup milk
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ tsp salt, plus additional for pasta water
10 - ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 - Extra grated Parmesan for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Add broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water for the final 3 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and broccoli.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, avoiding browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low and add softened cream cheese to the skillet. Stir continuously until melted and smooth.
04 - Slowly whisk in milk until sauce is creamy. Incorporate grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and optional red pepper flakes. Adjust thickness by adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired consistency is achieved.
05 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet and gently toss to coat evenly with sauce.
06 - Plate immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering delivery, yet tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
  • The creamy garlic sauce is foolproof—even if you think you've messed up, a splash of pasta water fixes almost everything.
  • It's vegetarian comfort food that doesn't feel like you're missing anything, especially with that nutty Parmesan finish.
02 -
  • Softened cream cheese is non-negotiable—if it's straight from the fridge, it will seize into lumps and you'll spend ten minutes trying to break them up with a whisk when you could have just left it on the counter for fifteen minutes.
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold; the starch in it helps the sauce coat the pasta and prevents it from breaking, so don't skip it or waste it down the drain.
  • Tasting and adjusting the seasoning before you combine everything gives you control, because once the pasta is in there, you can't add salt gradually anymore.
03 -
  • Room-temperature cream cheese melts like a dream, but if you forget to soften it, cut it into cubes and it'll break down faster in the warm oil than a cold block ever would.
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon—that starch is what transforms a thick sauce into something that clings to every surface, so keep that reserve nearby and add it slowly until you hit the right consistency.
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