Pasta in White Wine Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.
Only 15 minutes and a few minimal ingredients stand between you and a bowl of luscious pasta in white wine sauce that is fresh, flavorful, and versatile. A simple pasta recipe that goes well with your fav add-ins.
Published in March 2023/updated in Jan 2026
I’m not going to tell you that this is the most incredible pasta recipe in your life because it isn’t. It’s pretty basic, but it’s so delicious. You can’t go wrong with garlic, white wine, and Parmesan in a pasta sauce, right?
Join my newsletter for free weekly recipes!
The method for whipping up this quick pasta dish is ridiculously simple and uses minimal ingredients you probably have in your fridge right now. No heavy cream required.
To start, I cook butter, flour, garlic, white wine, parmesan, and some starchy pasta water until I get a thick, juicy white wine sauce that coats the pasta.
And the whole recipe – including the pasta cooking time – takes less than 15 minutes.
Shocking, I know.
But the best part about this white wine pasta is that it tastes SO GOOD on its own and also makes a great base for your fav add-ins and leftovers!
Toss in your wilted spinach, roasted tomatoes, or asparagus, zucchini, peppers, pan-fried salmon, or shrimp if you wish to make a more substantial meal.
Get creative, the possibilities are endless.
This super simple pasta in white wine sauce is nothing fancy, but it’s the kind of meal that works well for a busy weeknight, and you can easily take it to the next level if you wish.
Hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!
List of the ingredients
- Pasta
- Dry white wine
- Butter
- Garlic
- Flour
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
Let’s make pasta in white wine sauce
(Note: this is simply a quick explanation; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- While your pasta cooks, make the white wine sauce.
- Melt the butter in a skillet, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic, the wine, pasta water, and lemon juice.
- Simmer for about 4 minutes, then stir in the parmesan.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.
- Toss pasta until well combined and coated.
- Toss in fresh parsley (optional) or your fav add-ins, and serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper. It’s so delicious with warm focaccia, pesto garlic bread, or black pepper focaccia on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
White wine pasta ingredients
Pasta: Linguine or spaghetti are my favorite pasta shapes for this recipe, but shorter shapes like penne/rigatoni/fusilli also work well.
Butter & flour: We combine butter and flour and cook them to thicken the white wine sauce. This essential step for thickening sauces is called “roux”. Either salted or unsalted butter works fine.
Garlic: It’s essential to add more flavor.
Liquid: To make a silky white wine sauce, we add good-quality dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio), starchy water, and a touch of lemon juice for freshness. We don’t use any cream; we keep it easy to make, and economical, using ingredients you might already have on hand.
Parmesan: Don’t skip the Parmesan cheese; This simple sauce needs extra flavor!
Salt & black pepper: As always, I recommend seasoning to taste before serving. You want the flavor pops, don’t forget a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper!
Cooking with alcohol
The cooking time for this pasta sauce recipe is quite short and not enough to allow the alcohol to evaporate. I don’t consider this a kid-friendly meal, so please use your judgment when deciding whether to serve it to children.
White wine sauce add-ins
This quick pasta recipe tastes great on its own, and it’s easy to customize! Got roasted tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes left? Or maybe sautéed spinach or mushrooms. How about shredded chicken, sautéed shrimp, or pan-fried scallops or salmon? They can all go in this super quick white wine pasta!
What to serve with white wine pasta
- I think a light side, like my carrot salad or lettuce salad, would be great.
- If you want to add more protein to the meal, a chickpea salad, white bean salad, or a quick frittata with arugula would be great options for a meatless meal.
Storage tips
This pasta in white wine sauce is best eaten right away, but if you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for 3 days and reheat them in a skillet with a touch of water. But I’m not a fan of frozen pasta, and I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one.
More quick pasta recipes for you!
This terrific collection of 13 Super Quick Pasta Recipes ready in less than 15 minutes is for you! But you might also want to check out my vegan pastas and Italian pasta recipes, penne pasta recipes, or meatless pastas for more cooking inspiration!
Below are some of our favs:
- Pasta with artichokes
- Spinach pesto pasta
- Creamy tomato pasta
- Mushroom ricotta pasta
- Lemon caper pasta
- Penne arrabbiata
- Creamy spinach tomato pasta
Lastly, I hope you’ll love this luscious white wine pasta. If you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
And for more recipe updates, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Pasta in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8oz (220 grams) pasta (linguine, penne, etc…)
White Wine Pasta Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup (120 ml) pasta cooking water
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1-2 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
- When the pasta is 5 minutes away from being done, scoop out ½ cup of pasta water, set aside, then add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, sprinkle the flour in and cook for 1, stirring often.
- Add in the garlic, followed by wine, pasta water, lemon juice. It looks watery at the beginning, but let it cook, bubbling, for about 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up to your liking.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese (this is when you can add also your add-ins if you wish, see notes in the recipe card). Take the skillet off the heat, taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet and toss until coated and moist. Toss in some chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
What extra ingredients did you include that are in the photo for this recipe? Is it red pepper?
Yes, those are just red pepper flakes from Portugal. : )
A very simple but elegant pasta that was easy to double for a dinner party.H
That’s great to hear, Hollu! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. x
I added arugula it was fantastic ;
That’s great to hear! Thanks so much for rating the recipe. : )
Delicious! Fast and easy.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for rating the recipe, Alice. : )
This was delicious! I added some fresh broccoli to the sauce and it came out great!
That’s great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing, Ran. x
Thank you thank you for sharing this recipe! It is delicious and so easy to prepare!
Wonderful, Grace! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. x