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This luxuriously smooth pasta cream sauce drips from long and slender al dente strands of your favourite pasta for a simple and stunning meal in minutes. This authentic sauce recipe is only two ingredients: cream and Parmesan cheese, and under 10-minutes to make.
Once you’re a pasta master, you can work on sauce perfection- adding vegetables and protein to your cream sauce for pasta is the next level up. Try this one first with pancetta and peas.
Before my kids left home for university here in the UK, my biggest fear was that they would starve without me! So, I was determined that they would have a couple of basic recipes they could easily whip up.
I knew these recipes needed to be minimal ingredients, student-budget-friendly and not too tricky to pull off if they were actually going to cook them.
This pasta cream sauce recipe was the first on my list. As well as being affordable, quick and easy to put together, it is also customisable. Meaning they can add anything that’s knocking about in the student fridge like bacon, mushrooms, peas… Jello shots?!! OK, maybe not anything (I hope!).
Ingredients
When a recipe contains so few ingredients it’s vital that each one is as good as it can be! For this pasta cream sauce recipe, you’ll need only pasta, cream and Parmesan.
You’ll notice there’s no garlic, no stock, no flour, no milk. Garlic will rival the Parmesan, stock will dilute, and milk and flour will thicken the slender sauce. No thank you!
So, let’s talk pasta. I always buy 100% durum semolina pasta made in Italy. If cooked al dente, it offers that much-desired signature chew. While I favour a long pasta for cream sauce, the shape is secondary.
Now, cream. I’ve used heavy (double UK) cream. With a fat content of at least 36%, you’ll achieve a richly decadent sauce that is still pourable.
Finally, Parmesan cheese. I strongly advise against buying the pre-grated kind. Let me list the reasons (in case you’re new here):
- anti-caking agent is added to it meaning the cheese does not incorporate into the sauce fully and the texture will be grainy if not claggy!
- pre-grated cheese immediately begins to dry out and lose flavour meaning you need to use twice the amount. So, it’s a false economy product.
- simply, it doesn’t taste as good.
I implore you to invest in a block of the authentic hard stuff, which is widely available in supermarkets, and grate it as needed. Trust me, you will notice the difference.
Using these three simple, but stellar ingredients will result in the most authentic-tasting cream sauce for pasta that you’ll come back to making again and again.
Pasta recipes know-how
Pasta and sauce recipes can be quick and easy. That’s why so many of us eat them on repeat. But are we all getting the best, restaurant-worthy meals from them? What are the professionals doing that you might be skipping at home? Here’s a quick chef’s checklist:
- Add salt to the pasta water. Pasta needs to absorb a little salt so it isn’t bland, and it stops the pasta sticking together. Don’t add oil! That slick-coats the pasta and the sauce slips right off.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. This means draining the pasts before it gets too soft.
- Reserve a cup of the cooking water. Don’t drain it all away!
- Splash some of the reserved starchy water into the pasta sauce along with the pasta. Pasta is thirsty and can slurp up all the sauce without a little extra liquid.
- Combine pasta and sauce before serving. The sauce should never be served on top or on the side!
Now you’re a pasta cooking pro, you can flex your skills to any number of pasta sauce recipes. For another creamy pasta sauce, try a 10-minute homemade Alfredo or creamy tagliatelle with bacon and mushrooms.
The same basic pasta tips apply to tomato sauces too; tomato and mascarpone pasta is still creamy but sharpened with tomato and basil. If dairy’s off the menu, this tagliatelle with pancetta recipe can be made omitting the cheese.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients accessible to you.
- Invest in a block of This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese. It can be used for more than just pasta (hello, Caesar salad!).
- Using heavy (double UK) cream eliminates the need for thickeners like flour or corn starch.
- Use a low heat to combine the cream and cheese to ensure a fluid pasta sauce.
- Don’t forget to reserve the pasta water- that deserves another mention!
Serving suggestions
Creamy pasta sauce is best suited to long pasta, like fettucine, tagliatelle or This is an affiliate link.linguine. But no-one is judging if you’re just using up the leftover This is an affiliate link.penne, fusilli or conchiglie (they’re the gorgeous shell shapes!).
With a rich and luxuriously smooth white sauce like this one, I want my sides to be three things:
- crunchy or crisp in texture
- colourful
- sharp or fresh in flavour
With this in mind, I’d serve lemon green beans, a Caprese salad or tenderstem broccoli with vinaigrette. These elements will perfectly balance the plate, visually and nutritionally.
If balance and nutrition aren’t high on your culinary priorities, add garlic bread too!
Did you know that pasta is usually the first course of an Italian meal? Never the main event? And it’s served in modest portions to leave room for the second course which is usually meat or fish.
This is definitely a philosophy I can get behind! For my classic Italian main course, it would be a mouthwatering, meaty pork osso buco or caper-heavy salmon piccata.
Which would you choose?
Storage and leftovers
When a pasta sauce recipe takes less time to make than boiling the actual pasta, why would you not start again fresh? Besides, leftover pasta that has spent a night in the fridge is shudderingly unappetising!
More creamy pasta recipes
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- Orzo Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Creamy Salmon Pasta with Mixed Greens
- Easy Carbonara Sauce
- Tagliatelle with Truffle Sauce
Creamy Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Saucepan
- This is an affiliate link.Fine grater
Ingredients
- 500ml / 2cups double cream/heavy cream
- 50g / 1/2cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the cream in a pan over low heat but do not let it boil.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Taste the sauce and add the salt as needed. (Salt is an important ingredient here, so do not skip it.)
- To dress the pasta with the cream sauce, add the pasta directly to the pan with the sauce and gently shake the pan to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add up to 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- It may be slightly more expensive to use 100% durum semolina pasta from Italy, but the difference in quality makes this worthwhile, and it is much easier to cook to al dente.
- Be sure to salt the water you boil your pasta, but don’t add oil. The pasta will need time to absorb the salt from the water so it isn’t bland.
- There is no need to add flour or starch to thicken the sauce because the fat in the heavy or double cream is enough to make the perfect sauce.
- Don’t drain the pasta without reserving some pasta water. It can be used to add to the sauce later to keep it loose, while also adding creaminess.
- Dress your hot pasta with sauce before serving, rather than serving the sauce on the side. Leaving the pasta undressed can mean that it becomes dry and flavourless.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I plan to make this sauce. Are you a chef or someone who truly enjoys cooking and has mastered the different ingredients when making delicious dishes? I’ve read recipes that include flour and it always has a pastey taste. I’ve used the flour to make it thick, and really didn’t enjoy the after taste.
I just made this tonight and my goodness it was delicious! I added chicken sausage and spinach and even my picky 3 and 5 devoured it. I love how simple yet how flavorful it is. Thank you!
I can’t truly give an authentic review as I used pre-grated parm cheese for convenience. I doubled the recipe. The sauce was much runny than I was hoping as I was attempting to replicate a dish my mother-in-law had at a restaurant the night before (parmesan cream topped blackened Mahi). I was able to add the sauce to a pan of hot roux and it thickened right up. Final product was excellent!
Oh. My. Goodness! Just mde this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! My husband usually does the cooking but I was craving a cream sauce pasta. He helped by boiling the fresh pasta, grating the parm and grilling some chicken which I wanted to add. I also sauteed some mushrooms and spinach to toss with the pasta. Thus sauce is divine! It is so flavorful and fresh. It’s also a great base for adding extras like pancetta or finely diced tomatoes and basil. Or…just. the sauce itself on pasta. Rich! Creamy! Full of flavor! Thank you! This will certainly be added to our menu rotation.
It’s such a great basic sauce recipe, isn’t it, Lisa! You can add anything you like or keep it as it is. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing! there are some verions that use butter as well to these three ingredients (especially for alfredo recipes). Do you think butter is unnecessary to add,and why?
I personally don’t see why butter is necessary, Amy. Italians certainly don’t add butter to their sauces, so I tend to stay away. It only adds extra calories.
Can the sauce be made in advance and reheated?
Yes it can be but I would add a little water when reheating since liquids evaporate quickly.
Hi , I was wondering if I could use greek yoghurt in the recipe instead of cream? Or use to cut down the cream?
Hi Sabrina, I wouldn’t recommend using Greek yogurt. It’s far too tart for this delicate Italian cream sauce. If you want to make a lower calorie version, I would choose light/single cream instead. The sauce will be thinner but the flavour would be the same.
Ok I see, thank you!
I made this the other day and used some oyster sauce to flavor the cream and cheese and it was delicious
Omg!! I absolutely love this recipe!! Thank you so much for the tip on the noodles. I found a good noodle like you recommended and I couldn’t believe the difference! I will never buy a boxed noodle again! I followed your recipe to to the T and it turned out amazing!! Thank you so much!
I am thrilled to hear it, Sharon. Boxed pasta is fine as long as it’s good quality 100% durum semolina. 🙂
So I made this and I found I needed WAY more cheese added to the sauce. I did add sauteed mushrooms, some chicken and peas. All in all, it was decent.
Hi Sharon, the amount of cheese is definitely a personal taste, however next time before you add more cheese, try adding a pinch of salt first. I find salt brings out the flavour of cheese that is already there. It is a cream sauce after afterall, not a cheese sauce. Also, have you used freshly grated Parmesan or pre-grated cheese? That makes a world of difference to the taste as I mentioned in the article above.
If I wish to add peas or mushrooms or any other veg to the sauce when would I do that?
Hi Klara, it really depends on vegetables as they all cook at different times. You can use these Pancetta Pasta with Peas or Creamy Tagliatelle with bacon and mushrooms recipes as your guide.
I am definitely making this tonight. I am going to try it with sweet potato zoodles.
What do you think?
Looks absolutely delish!
Sounds delicious, Mary! Just watch those sweet potato noodles. They tend to cook really quickly and go from crunchy to mushy in seconds. 🙂
Just offering an opinion…tossing the pasta with a little melted salted butter first, intensifys the flavor and helps prevent over absorption. I use all of the other ingredients, including the pasta water, but butter makes it a true alfredo, which I realize you’re not trying to accomplish here. Either way, it’s divine. Depending on what the added ingredients are (if any) such as chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, etc…I usually add fresh ground black pepper.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Katie.