This simple Cream Cheese Pasta recipe is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner made in one pot with 9 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep! This Philadelphia cheese pasta features two kinds of cheeses and your favorite noodles, along with simple pantry ingredients to create an ultra-creamy, flavorful and fuss-free cream cheese pasta sauce!
Serve this parmesan pasta dish as it is, or jazz it up by adding your favorite veggies and proteins! If you are looking for a delicious, quick and easy lunch or dinner, this creamy cheese pasta is the ideal stove-to-plate dish done in a jiffy!
Have you ever felt an inescapable craving for something (anything!) savory and cheesy? I have those moments more times than I can count, and when it happens, I want that creamy, cheesy goodness as soon as humanly possible! If you can relate to this, or if you are simply a serial cheese lover, then this pasta with cream and cheese is for you! This unpretentious cheesy pasta recipe is perfect for your back pocket! You can serve this creamy cheesy pasta as a weeknight meal for the whole family, or dish it up as a decadent, cozy meal perfect for a date night at home complete with a glass of bubbly!
The Best Cream Cheese Pasta Recipe
It is super easy and is done without any fanfare, but it is anything but bland or boring. The combination of Italian seasoning, cream cheese, and parmesan gives the cheesy white sauce full-on, comforting flavors that will burst in your mouth. I also added a pinch of red pepper flakes to give it a punch of heat that will tantalize your tastebuds.
The pasta and the sauce are both cooked in a deep skillet or Dutch oven, which concentrates all the goodness of the aromatics, herbs, spices, and white wine into the dish. Not only will you be getting a flavorful dish in minutes, but clean-up will also be a breeze! And if you have some veggies in your chiller that you need to use ASAP, this recipe is the perfect way to use them.
Why this recipe for cream cheese pasta works!
- 9 ingredients! You only need 9 simple, easy-to find ingredients, plus a couple pantry staples to prepare this Italian meal!
- 10 minutes of preparation! This pasta cream cheese only requires 10 minutes of hands-on preparation! You can have these cream cheese noodles prepared, cooked and on the table in 30 minutes (or less!)
- One pot! This pasta with Philadelphia cream cheese sauce comes together in just one pot!
- Ultra-creamy! If you love restaurant-quality white sauce pastas, such as Alfredo, then you will fall head over heels in love with this super simple, yet utterly delicious cheese pasta sauce recipe!
- Anytime meal! This one pot creamy pasta recipe is easy enough for weeknight dinners with the family AND delicious enough for entertaining!
- Totally customizable! Cream cheese and pasta is totally flexible and just waiting for you to add your personal touch! Make this recipe for pasta with cheese as is, or customize it to suit your needs! Try adding crispy bacon, cooked sausage, leftover ham, or prosciutto for the meat lovers in your family! Or stir in spinach and bell peppers to make your meal more nutritious! The sky is the limit!
What is Philadelphia cheese pasta?
Cream cheese pasta is an easy comforting dish made with your favorite shape of pasta and a block of cream cheese, along with broth, fragrant aromatics and flavorful Italian seasonings! This white sauce pasta with cheese is similar to Fettuccine Alfredo; just with a slightly tangier taste!
Creamy cheese pasta ingredients
You’ll need nine simple ingredients, plus a few pantry staples to make the easiest fettuccine alfredo with cream cheese!
- Butter: You’ll need 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter for sautéing the aromatics! If using salted butter, adjust the amount of salt in the recipe accordingly.
- Shallot: One large shallot adds a delicate touch of astringent onion flavor!
- Garlic: Three to four cloves of fresh garlic provide a distinctive, punchy taste. Make sure you use fresh garlic cloves, not the minced variety sold in a jar!
- Seasonings: A combination of Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper all add a ton of flavor!
- Wine: Dry white wine is optional; however it does add a depth of flavor! You can use any dry wine you like, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. Or, you can substitute broth instead!
- Broth: You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth to create the base for the creamy cheese sauce!
- Pasta: The recipe calls for fettuccine; however, you can use whatever pasta shape you love!
- Cream Cheese: A block of room temperature cream cheese provides rich, tangy flavor and plenty of creamy texture! Be sure to use full fat cream cheese for the best texture and taste!!
- Milk: You’ll need whole milk (half-and-half or heavy cream) to thin the cream cheese pasta sauce!
- Parmesan: A generous dusting of parmesan cheese adds the perfect pop of salty, complex flavor! Please grate the parmesan yourself for the best flavor (non of that green can stuff)!
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a ton of bright, fresh flavor and really bring this Italian pasta recipe to life! I typically use basil; but you can add or substitute chives, parsley, oregano or thyme if you like!
Possible Substitutions
- Italian seasoning is a blend of herbs majorly made up of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and marjoram. If you do not have this, you can check your spice rack for any of the above herbs mentioned and use a combination of them. Check out my homemade Italian Seasoning for the perfect ratio blend. I also included a list of add-ons that you can try.
- White wine adds complexity to the pasta, and the alcohol will diminish significantly during cooking. If you skip it, I recommend finishing the pasta with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.
- Fettuccine is ideal for this recipe. However, feel free to use any type of pasta you love. Make sure to follow the package instructions for the cooking time.
- Milk: If you find you don’t have any milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream to thin the Philadelphia cream cheese sauce, simply use some of the pasta water!
- Aside from flat-leaf parsley, you can also garnish this cheese pasta recipe with fresh herbs like basil, chives, scallions, and thyme.
Parmesan Pasta Variations
What amazes me about this easy cheese pasta is how simple yet beautifully flavored it is! And its simplicity opens itself up to a world of variations that make pasta time more exciting! Here are a few ways for you to sass your Cream Cheese Pasta up!
Salmon Cream Cheese Pasta
Add a few tender slices of grilled, pan-fried, or baked salmon to give your pasta dish a more elegant flair! Turn your homey cheese pasta into a restaurant-worthy dish by adding fresh spinach and serving it topped with baked salmon filets! All you need is your favorite red wine to enjoy a romantic dinner for two! Other seafood options are tuna, shrimp, and mussels.
Cream Cheese Chicken Pasta
If you are making this for a bunch of hungry people, adding some protein-rich chicken meat is the way to go! You can use rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken you may have and toss them in for a hearty pasta lunch or dinner.
Cream Cheese Tomato Pasta
If you have juicy, plump tomatoes or maybe a jar of sun-dried tomatoes begging to be used, toss them in this pasta dish with cream cheese! The addition of tomatoes will bring nothing but more flavor to an already fantastic dish! Saute the tomatoes together with the shallots and garlic.
Vegetable Cream Cheese Pasta
Some of the best veggies you can add to these noodles with cream cheese are artichoke hearts, olives, roasted bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, and arugula. You can also try other vegetables and see where that takes you! Saute any “hard veggies” with the aromatics, so they turn out tender. However, soft and green leafy vegetables like spinach and arugula should be added later on.
Meaty Cream Cheese Pasta
This version is for meat lovers! Bacon and prosciutto are great in this cheese pasta recipe. They are light enough to keep the pasta from being overly savory but meaty enough to satisfy your tummies!
How to make pasta cream cheese?
This pasta with cheese sauce is so easy to make! Everything comes together in one pot with just a few simple ingredients and 30 minutes!
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt butter in a large deep skillet and sauté the shallots and garlic with Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper; cook until soft.
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Deglaze: Add the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- Add broth + pasta: Add the broth and pasta into the skillet, arranging the noodles so they lay flat in the skillet. Season the broth with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring to boil: Increase the heat and bring the broth to a slow boil. As soon as the broth starts to boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Cover + cook: Cover the skillet and let the pasta cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, give the pasta a good stir. Return the lid and continue to simmer for 6-10 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente.
- Add cream cheese: Reduce the heat and whisk the cubes of cream cheese into the broth.
- Add milk + parmesan: Add the milk and parmesan cheese. Stir the fettuccine pasta until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. If the pasta sauce is too thick, thin with a bit of milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Finish + serve: Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with extra cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan. Enjoy immediately!
Tips for making the best cheese Pasta!
- Room temperature cheese! I recommend removing the cream cheese from the refrigerator and cubing it before you start gathering and preparing the other ingredients! This will ensure that they melt and meld more seamlessly into the broth-y sauce.
- Large pot! If the pot you are using is too narrow, break the fettuccine noodles in half so that they will lay flat in the skillet. Submerge the noodles fully in the broth, so they cook evenly.
- Al dente pasta! Always check the package instructions when cooking the pasta. If you plan to use smaller pasta pieces, reduce the cooking time, so they do not turn mushy. Al dente is the goal here!
- Use milk to taste! The milk will thin out the cream cheese sauce. The amount needed will depend upon how thick and creamy you like your pasta sauce. Note that the pasta will thicken as it cools, so if it looks a bit on the runny side before you take it off the stove, that is fine.
- Adjust the heat! You can modify the amount of red pepper flakes to match your preference. If you want to make kid-friendly cheese pasta, you can just skip this ingredient altogether.
FAQ: Fettuccine Alfredo with Cream Cheese
Below you will find common questions and answers pertaining to this recipe for pasta with cream cheese!
- Can I omit the wine? If you prefer to leave the wine out, you can! Simply omit that step from the recipe. However, please note that the wine adds acidity to this creamy pasta. Therefore, if you omit it, I recommend finishing the pasta with a fresh lemon juice or Balsamic Vinegar before serving!
- Can I reduce garlic? Yes, you may. I find using 3 to 4 cloves to be suited for this recipe. But if you are not a garlic fan, you can reduce it to 1 or 2 cloves. On the other hand, if you like it extra garlicky, adding a clove or two also works!
- Is this pasta dish vegetarian-friendly? Everything on the ingredient list is appropriate for a vegetarian diet except for the chicken broth and parmesan cheese. You can use vegetable broth instead and dairy-free parmesan cheese.
- Can I make it vegan? This pasta recipe with cream cheese is easy to adapt to suit a vegan diet! Just make the necessary dairy-free substitutions for butter, milk, and cheese, then use vegetable broth.
Serving Suggestions for Creamy Parmesan Pasta!
How to serve this dish?
This cream cheese pasta recipe is best when enjoyed hot and ultra-creamy, straight from the pan! Place the cooked cheese pasta on individual serving plates and garnish them to your liking with freshly-grated parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh herbs!
What to serve with it?
You can enjoy this cream cheese pasta recipe is hearty enough to be enjoyed on its own as a complete meal! Or, you can serve it with fresh bread, such as Soft Dinner Rolls, No-Kneed Foccacia, or Garlic Pull Apart Knots for sopping up the cream cheese sauce! You can also enjoy this pasta with a delicious salad or your favorite seasonal vegetables, such as Italian Chopped Salad or roasted broccoli! If you’re in the mood for dessert, a simple cream cheese dessert dip with cookies and fresh fruit is the way to go!
How to store pasta with cream cheese?
If you have leftovers, allow the pasta cream cheese to cool down completely before transferring them into an airtight container. You can store leftover pasta in the fridge, and it should stay good for up to three days.
When you are ready to eat, you can simply reheat individual portions in the microwave or bigger batches on the stovetop! If the cream cheese pasta sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of broth or milk to make it creamy again. I do not recommend freezing, as the white sauce can become grainy when thawed.
So next time you are in need of a quick yet reliable dish made to impress, this Cream Cheese Pasta recipe is it! It’s something that you can whip up in a flash, but tastes like a million bucks!
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More creamy pasta recipes!
If you love this one pot parmesan pasta, try one of these creamy noodle recipes next!
- Creamy Broccoli Pasta (Broccoli and pasta in a creamy ricotta sauce!)
- Lemon Chicken Pasta (One of the most popular pasta recipes on this site!)
- Creamy Sausage Pasta (A fan favorite among the meat-eating readers!)
How to make the best cream cheese pasta recipe!👇
Below is the complete printable recipe card, along with some of the step-by-step photos! Scroll up for more in-depth instructional photos!
Cream Cheese Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- large skillet
- Kitchen Utility Spoon (stirring spoon!)
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 3 TBS Unsalted Butter
- 1 large Shallot – small dice
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic – thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp Italian Seasonings (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – or more to taste
- Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper – to taste
- 1/3 Cup Dry White Wine – optional (SEE NOTES)
- 3 Cups Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable broth
- 12 ounces Fettuccine (SEE NOTES)
- 6 ounces Block-Style Cream Cheese – cut into small cubes (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ Cup Whole Milk – more or less, to taste (SEE NOTES)
- 1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese – plus more for garnish
- 3-4 TBS Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley – plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt the butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze: Add the wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth + pasta: Pour the broth into the skillet. Add the pasta, arranging the noodles so they lay flat in the skillet, submerged in the broth. Season the broth with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring to boil: Increase the heat to high and bring the broth to a slow boil. As soon as the broth starts to boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Stir the pasta once.
- Cover + cook: Cover the skillet and let the pasta cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, give the pasta a good stir. Return the lid and continue to simmer for 6-10 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente.
- Add cream cheese: Reduce the heat to low and add the cubes of cream cheese to the pan. Whisk the cream cheese into the broth.
- Add milk + parmesan: Once the cream cheese is completely melted, add the milk and parmesan cheese. Stir the pasta until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a bit of milk until desired consistency is reached. (Note: Pasta will thicken as it sits!)
- Finish + serve: Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with extra cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Italian Seasoning: You can use homemade or store-bought Italian seasoning. Alternatively, you can use any combination of the following dried herbs in a pinch - basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and/or sage!
- Wine: White wine adds complexity to the pasta and the alcohol will diminish significantly during cooking. But, if you prefer to leave the wine out, you can! Simply omit that step from the recipe. However, please note, the wine adds acidity to the pasta. Therefore, if you omit it, I recommend finishing the pasta with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving!
- Pasta Shape: You can use any type of pasta you love in this recipe – just adjust the cook time accordingly!
- Fettuccine: If your pan is narrow, break the fettuccine in half so that it will lay flat in the skillet, submerged in the broth!
- Cream Cheese: While not mandatory, it is best if your cream cheese is at room temperature! Room temp cubes of cream cheese will melt and meld more seamlessly into the broth-y sauce. Tip: I recommend removing the cream cheese from the refrigerator and cubing it before you start gathering and preparing the other ingredients!
- Milk: The milk is used to thin the cream cheese sauce! The amount needed will depend upon how thick and creamy you like your pasta sauce!
Nutrition
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Creamy, cheesy goodness never ever disappoints Chey! This looks so delicious and I LOVE how easy it is!
Easy, quick and absolutely delicious!