Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Printable View)

Silky cream cheese and garlic blend with broccoli and pasta for a creamy, satisfying dish.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine

→ Vegetables

02 - 10 oz broccoli florets

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp 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 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ tsp salt, plus additional for pasta water
10 - ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Add the broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve ½ cup of pasta 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 softened cream cheese. Stir continuously until melted and smooth.
04 - Gradually whisk in milk until the sauce becomes creamy. Add grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust consistency by adding reserved pasta water a little at a time as needed.
05 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly with the sauce.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • Broccoli adds fresh crunch and color so you do not have to feel guilty about seconds
  • Cream cheese creates the silkiest sauce without any fancy techniques or splurge ingredients
02 -
  • Cream cheese must be room temperature or it will seize up into tiny stubborn lumps that refuse to melt smooth
  • The pasta water trick saves more sauces than I care to admit always save at least half a cup
  • Garlic goes from fragrant to burned in about thirty seconds stay right there and do not walk away
03 -
  • Use a box grater for the Parmesan instead of a microplane so you get those satisfying melty pockets throughout the sauce
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like the ocean it is your only chance to season the noodles themselves
  • Grate your garlic on a microplane if you want it to disappear completely into the sauce
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