10-MINUTE CREAM CHEESE PASTA
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Delicious cozy cream cheese pasta ready in 10 minutes, anyone? This super easy and cheap pasta recipe makes the perfect midweek last-minute meal.
Comfy and filling, It comes together in a flash, it costs about $ 1.20 per serving and the whole family will love it!
The cream cheese sauce is embarrassingly easy to make, but it turns your plain pasta dish into something good.
Mix garlic-infused olive oil, creamy cheese, savory parmesan, and delicious spaghetti. Then add freshly ground pepper or a good pinch of chili flakes, and an extra drizzle of olive oil to boost the flavor!
This was one of my go-to recipes when I was at uni, and it was so popular with my flatmates!
Easy peasy, but totally satisfying and perfect for your carb cravings, especially when you run out of time or money.
Good things don’t get much easier than this!
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS RECIPE
- Whole grain or regular pasta
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper
HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE PASTA?
(Full recipe at the bottom of the page)
- Cook your pasta until al dente
- Saute’ garlic in olive oil until fragrant
- Add cream cheese, pasta cooking water, parmesan, and stir well
- Drain and add pasta to the skillet
- Toss until well combined, adding some pasta water if needed
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese, black pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil.
- Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES & QUESTIONS
This cream cheese pasta couldn’t be easier and cheaper: you need only and a few basic ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and approximately $1.20 per servings.
Plus, this is a delicious bowl of whole-grain spaghetti tossed in a cream cheese sauce and drizzled with olive oil.
It’s a homemade pasta dish, not canned sauces or canned noodles!
IS PASTA HEALTHY?
YES. Pasta is definitely part of a healthy diet, as long as it’s eaten in moderation.
And If you switch to whole-grain pasta you’ll get more natural fiber and micronutrients than white pasta.
I love whole grain pasta, and I try to sneak into my meals as much fiber as I can.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CREAM CHEESE PASTA TASTE SO GOOD?
First things first, ingredients matter.
Pasta
I’m Italian and, needless to say, I grew up eating pasta and I take the whole thing quite seriously ; ).
First things first, pasta brand matters, and when you chose pasta, have a proper look at the label and go for durum wheat semolina pasta, possibly made with brass or bronze dies.
Spaghetti or another short type of pasta like fusilli or penne work very well, but please: cook it until al dente!
Cheese
Yes, cheese helps! Good cream cheese mixed with some savory parmesan makes a delicious and quick sauce for your pasta. It’s also important to save some of pasta cooking water which is full of starch and contributes to the creaminess of the final sauce.
Flavor
Gently saute garlic in olive oil over a low flame, so the flavor of the garlic has a chance to infuse the oil.
If you’re not feeding children, I would suggest adding a good pinch of chili flakes for a little extra kick. And serve with good olive oil or extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper!
CAN I ADD OTHER INGREDIENTS?
YES, feel free to customize! This is a terrific versatile pasta recipe, which means that you can add your vegetables or protein of choice.
You can add whatever sauteed or roasted veggies such as:
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Zucchini
- Peppers
- Peas
Or you simply can add fresh raw ingredients that work so well alongside the cheesy pasta and make a lovely and balanced meal:
- Arugula
- Basil
- Cherry tomatoes
If you fancy a not vegetarian option, you can add:
- Ham
- Grilled chicken breast
- Grilled or smoked salmon
- Prawns
- Bacon
- Sausage
Sometimes, I add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and artichokes for a Mediterranean-inspired flavor.
Yes, the sky is the limit!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CREAM CHEESE PASTA?
You can make a super fast and refreshing vegan salad like an Italian tomato and cucumber salad or a protein-packed Mediterranean tomato, bean and tuna salad.
If you enjoy this super quick yummy cream cheese pasta, be sure to check these 10-minute pasta recipes:
- raw cherry tomato pasta,
- pasta salad with tuna
- spaghetti with garlic and olive oil
- spinach and ricotta spaghetti
If you make this recipe or if you have a question, let me know! Leave a comment or rate it : )
I would love to hear from you! x
10-MINUTE CREAM CHEESE PASTA
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (225 grams) pasta (spaghetti, penne, fusilli...)
- 3/4 cup (160 grams) cream cheese*
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) grated parmesan, plus more to serve
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cooking water, plus more if needed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4-1/2 tsp chili flakes, or according to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Right before draining, reserve a cup of starchy pasta water.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 Tbsp of olive oil and gently fry the garlic (plus a good pinch of chili flakes if you like) for 2-3 minutes. Use a low flame, do not let the garlic burn.
- Then stir the cream cheese and about 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water. Stir to combine oil, cream cheese, water and create a nice and creamy emulsion. Add parmesan cheese and stir well. Your pasta sauce is ready.
- Drain and add your pasta to the skillet. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed for a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Serve immediately with a drizzle of good olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper (if you don't use chili flakes). Enjoy!
Making this for lunch, dinner, and some meal prep. I’m adding bacon and capers to the recipe. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Brilliant! Thanks so much for your comment : )
I decided to add spinach and onions. I was Vegan for 2 years; so no meat for me! I want to get healthy for me me again. I know everything in this recipe is not Vegan (just starting back)!! Don’t Judge Me.
I don’t, and I’m very pleased you tried this recipe. Spinach sounds a great add-in! : )
This is absolutely delicious! And so easy! Everyone loved it! Next time, tomorrow, I’ll add mushrooms. Thanks so much!
You’re very welcome, Patty… mushrooms sound great.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! : )
This is an extraordinary sauce; big hit with the family. I added a bit of lemon to balance the richness of the cream cheese. Like you mention, it’s highly customizable yet simple. Thanks for a great new recipe in my regular rotation.
I’m so happy to hear your family loves this easy sauce, Bill! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback.
Cheers x
Excellent. Had this for dinner tonight
I’m very glad you liked it, Jama! : )
Cheers x
Ok… so I made this recipe and surprisingly, it came out pretty good. Not on the fact of the recipe, but cause I, myself MADE IT! Lol! I added in some shrimp and mushrooms too! Anywho, this was my first attempt at it and hopefully not my last one either.
MAHALO FOR THR RECIPE. KIDS LOVED IT! HUSBAND LOVED IT!
I’m so happy to hear the whole family loved it, well done! : )
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. Cheers x
Great Recipe, thank you for sharing Katia!
I added some vegetables with my dish, some brocollini and mushrooms. My partner and I loved it, an easy creamy sauce packed full of flavour. x
I’m so happy you both loved it, Chantelle!
Thank you for sharing your feedback and have a great day. x
I just want to say that I saved some of the pasta water. When it was time to re-heat,
we sprinkled some of the pasta water over the leftover pasta and then nuked it.
Mmmmm. It came out so creamy and not dry at all.
Thank you so much, Kristine! I’m so glad to hear about the yummy leftover pasta! : )
This was the best pasta I’ve made at home for my little one! The flavor is so delicious and it’s creamy. Of course you can adjust it easily, I added a bit of butter to mine and it was perfect. The directions are simple and easy to follow, I am definitely making this again.
That’s brilliant, I’m so happy to hear that! : )
Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback on the blog. x
I really wanted to make the lemon ricotta pasta dish, but I had no ricotta cheese.
I thought I would try this instead. First of all, I put in too much pasta water, so I added 3/4c grated Gruyere cheese that was leftover from last night. When I finished making this dish, it was very creamy and tasty! I would have added bacon or pancetta if I had it on hand. Still
craving the lemon, I added the juice and zest of one lemon with lots of pepper.
Yum! I can’t wait to make this as written.
It doesn’t need anything and is delicious!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your lovely feedback, Kristine! I’m very happy to hear it turned out so good, and hope you make the lemon ricotta pasta soon, they’re both delicious! Cheers : )
Is there anything else I can use in place of the pasta water, if just making for a sauce?
Lol I’m thinking of freezing some pasta water so i have on hand — is that an option
Hey Gail! Pasta water is full of starch and great to emulsify, and it’s essential when you toss pasta with sauce or vegetables.
Basically, you’re supposed to use pasta water only with pasta, and you can have “fresh” pasta water whenever you cook pasta (it’s easy, no need to freeze it : ).
Have a great weekend x
Whoa! I was scrolling through recipes and my daughter picked this one. I was not expecting much, but was blown away! It was delicious and soooo easy to make. Definitely gonna put this one in rotation. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Jennifer! I’m so pleased to hear it was delicious and easy to make.
Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback x
I would love to incorporate chicken in the chicken in this dish! Any ideas?
Hey Georgia, you can can pan fry some chicken breast fillets, then using two forks you can scrap and tear the flesh into small, shredded pieces.
Toss the shredded chicken in the cream cheese sauce before adding the pasta. Enjoy x
Very rich pasta, almost too rich! That said, this recipe was very easy to follow and only took 10 minutes to make.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, Chelsea!
Cheers x
Really hit the spot this evening. Only deviation from original recipe is I cooked bacon prior to making the sauce, and used the leftover fat in the pan to cook the garlic instead of olive oil. Not a healthy substitution, by any means but soooo good. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Emily, thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback… I’m so pleased it was so good!
Cheers x
Super yummy!! I was looking for a recipe to use the left over cream cheese I had, and couldn’t have been more surprised at how easy and delicious this recipe was… love the red pepper and creaminess!!
That’s great, thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Robin!
I’m so glad it turned out super yummy.
Have a lovely weekend. x
It’s really great! I am munching on it right now 🙂
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it, Linda! Thanks for sharing your feedback. Cheers x
This is a very great and simple recipe for a beginner like myself. But, I do have a few questions regarding ingredient substitutes. What type of cheese can I use instead of Parmesan cheese? And will it taste different if I decided to use milk instead of cream cheese? Thank you for taking your time sharing new knowledge to a stranger! x
Hi Nina! You might use Grana Padano instead of Parmesan cheese (it’s another Italian hard cheese, cheaper than parmesan, but it works well in the recipe).
Either Parmesan or Grana padano add savory flavor, use one of these ingredients if you can, otherwise skip the parmesan altogether.
But you can’t use milk instead of cream cheese though, because you need that amount of fat and flavor that gives you a rich and creamy pasta sauce. Milk doesn’t work, it doesn’t have enough flavor and fat.
Hope this help, and enjoy! x
Easy, tasty and versatile – win! And I love that this doesn’t require milk, which I rarely have on hand. Made it with sauteed white mushrooms and topped with smoked salmon. Delish! I under-cooked the garlic a bit (for fear of burning it), but it was still tasty and, as my honey pointed out, we are now definitely safe from any vampires that might be in the neighborhood.
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit (and you guys were safe from vampires too LOL). Thanks so much for sharing your lovely comment, Elizabeth! x
I made This for dinner and it’s so good! I used Philadelphia garden vegetable cream cheese instead. It’s so creamy and tasty!
Thanks for your lovely feedback, Taylor! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it. Katia x
So good! I used half whole wheat spaghetti and half butternut squash noodles. I sautéed the butternut noodles with the garlic and pepper flakes while the pasta was cooking, then pulled it out of the pan once it was al dente. Then I proceeded with the rest of the recipe. I also had some cooked, turkey Italian sausage that I heated and threw on top. I used Philadelphia reduced fat (Neufchâtel) cream cheese. It turned out great!
That sounds delicious, Kathy! Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback.
Cheers x
I love a quick and easy dinner. Being delicious is a bonus. This took no time at all. I did add mushrooms. Next time, I’ll add some Italian sausage.
I’m so glad you loved it, Charlene! Thanks a million for your lovely feedback.
Cheers x