Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Creamy pasta sauce with plenty of garlic AND cheese? Count me in!

I’ve been a pasta fanatic since childhood and made it a habit of ordering spaghetti and marinara off most children’s menus regardless of the restaurant.

As an adult, I still love a cozy plate of noodles coated with tasty sauce like our French Onion Pasta and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta.

This Garlic Parmesan Pasta is one of my absolute favorites. Made with a creamy sauce of milk, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese, it’s on the table in less than 20 minutes.

It’s perfect for an elegant dinner for two or making a large batch for a table of hungry kids. Serve with a loaf of Italian bread, rosemary parmesan bread, or olive bread.

How to Make Garlic Parmesan Pasta:

Before starting this recipe, prep all the ingredients. This dish comes together quickly once everything gets going.

See the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full instructions.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta noodles. Cook until al dente then drain away the water making sure to save about 1/2 cup. While the noodles cook, make the sauce.
2. In a separate pan or large skillet, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the salt, pepper, and minced garlic and cook just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to cook out any raw flour flavor.
4. Continue whisking and slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream. Whisk well to incorporate the flour with the liquid. Adjust the heat to medium and whisk until steam begins to rise from the pan. Don’t let the milk and cream boil; otherwise, they’ll split and separate into an oily mess.

Storage:

Refrigerator: Store leftover pasta in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat: Reheat pasta in a pan over low heat. Add a few splashes of chicken broth or milk to loosen the noodles if needed.

A microwave may also be used to reheat, but it tends to dry out the noodles.

How can you thin out the pasta sauce?

To thin out the pasta sauce, you can add a splash of chicken broth, milk, or heavy cream. Another option is to stir in some reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Can you use milk in place of heavy cream?

Yes, you can use milk in place of heavy cream, however, the result will be less rich and creamy. Milk has a lower fat content than cream so it won’t have as much flavor or body. You can also try using half and half to mimic the richness of heavy cream.

What does it mean for a cream sauce to split or separate?

When a cream sauce separates or splits, it means the fat has separated from the liquid and becomes an oily texture. This is often caused by over-mixing or heating at too high of a temperature.

This often looks like a buttery ring around the edge of the pan and many times is difficult or impossible to fix. To try and fix it, you can add more liquid such as stock, milk, or cream to help bring it back together.

How many calories in parmesan pasta?

The calories in garlic parmesan pasta depends on the ingredients used and the serving size. Our recipe is written with for a 2 ounce serving size and contains approximately 701 calories per serving.

While this may seem high, keep in mind that this recipe contains heavy cream, milk, butter, and parmesan cheese which are all high calorie foods.