Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Print Version)

Silky cream cheese and garlic sauce tossed with pasta and tender broccoli for a cozy dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 10 oz broccoli florets

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons 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 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Add broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and broccoli.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese to the skillet. Stir continuously until melted and smooth.
04 - Gradually whisk in milk until the sauce becomes creamy. Stir in grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust thickness by adding reserved pasta water a little at a time.
05 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the sauce in the skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means dinner when you're genuinely hungry, not hours away.
  • The sauce is impossibly silky and rich without being heavy, thanks to the cream cheese melting into something almost cloud-like.
  • Broccoli cooked right in the pasta water means one less pot to wash and vegetables that taste like they actually belong there.
02 -
  • Don't let the garlic brown or it turns bitter and harsh in a way that ruins the whole thing—low heat and your nose as a timer work better than anything else.
  • The cream cheese won't melt properly if it's cold straight from the fridge, so let it sit out for 15 minutes beforehand no matter how much you're rushing.
  • That pasta water you reserved is liquid gold for fixing a sauce that got too thick, so don't pour it down the drain the moment you drain the pot.
03 -
  • Buy your cream cheese and Parmesan a day before you plan to cook so the cream cheese can soften naturally and the cheese tastes better at room temperature.
  • Whisk constantly when adding milk so you end up with something silky instead of chunky, which is the difference between restaurant-quality and regrettable.
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