This Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce recipe is creamy, cheesy, and savory all in one delicious bowl! Ready in 25 minutes with the combination of cream cheese, garlic, Parmesan, and butter, this recipe is sure to become an instant family favorite.
About Our Easy Cream Cheese Pasta
Our Cream Cheese Pasta is so quick and easy to make using only butter, garlic, cream cheese, parmesan, some starchy pasta water, plus a handful of spices.
Just as comfy as your favorite four-cheese pasta sauce from a can, this homemade cheesy pasta sauce turns any basic pasta recipe into a budget-friendly, flavorful, filling meal.
This sauce is rich, creamy, and full of garlic parmesan flavor, just like an Alfredo sauce, but this revised recipe removes the heavy cream and replaces it with cream cheese (can we just call it a cream cheese Alfredo sauce?).
Serve my multi-purpose cream cheese sauce as a dip for veggies, breadsticks, or crackers or add it to traditional tomato sauce to turn it into the perfect tangy, creamy pasta coating.
Why We Love This Cream Cheese Sauce Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in 5 minutes.
- Uses simple ingredients.
- Keto-friendly, low carb, gluten free recipe.
- Delicious, fast homemade sauce to make when you don’t want to spend a fortune.
- Serve your saucy pasta dish on its own as the main meal or as a side dish with dinner.
- The perfect creamy, cheesy sauce for any pasta shape.
Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce Ingredients
- Salted sweet cream butter
- Minced garlic
- Cream cheese
- Reserved pasta water or chicken broth: You can substitute vegetable broth for the pasta water or chicken broth if you prefer.
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional garnish)
- Fettuccine: Feel free to use any shape pasta.
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Salted Butter: You can substitute unsalted butter for the salted sweet cream butter. You can also substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter.
- Add-In Ideas: Feel free to add some chopped spinach, sautéed mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, or another veggie for a boost of vitamins and minerals.
- Pick Your Pasta: Any pasta shape will work for this recipe. It pairs perfectly with long noodles like spaghetti and fettuccine or shorter ones like rotini, penne, and ziti.
- Pair With Protein: You can toss in some cooked, crispy bacon, or shrimp with your pasta for a protein-packed meal.
- Serving Suggestions: You can add this pasta sauce to cream soups and even mix them into mashed potatoes!
Recommended Tools
- 10 to 12-inch skillet or 5 to 6-quart saucepan
- Whisk
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Melt: Cook the garlic in melted butter and then add the cream cheese. Cooking until the cream cheese has melted.
Pro Tip: Be sure to stir constantly to keep the cream cheese from scorching. - Make The Sauce: Whisk in the reserved pasta water or broth, onion powder, oregano, kosher salt, and pepper until completely incorporated and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the grated parmesan cheese until melted.
- Serve: Add in the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tip From Our Recipe Developer
- If the sauce is too thick, you can add more reserved cooking water to thin out the sauce before adding noodles. Vegetable broth or chicken broth can also be used.
- If the sauce is too thin, you can add some starchy pasta water.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. It will help it melt much faster.
- Use fresh grated Parmesan. The pre-shredded Parmesan won’t melt properly and will make the sauce grainy.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
What To Serve With Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Serve your cream cheese pasta sauce dinner with my Olive Garden Salad, Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread, or Air Fryer Garlic Knots on the side.
You can add the pasta sauce to cream soups, like my Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, and even mix them into my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
Storage
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the pasta sauce for up to 1 month. Allow sauce to thaw overnight before reheating and serving.
More of Our Favorite Recipes
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Egg Roll Bowl Recipe
- Homemade Fried Rice
- Rotel Cheese Dip
- Creamy Bacon Pasta
- Spicy Chicken Pasta
- Big Mac Sauce
Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Serves — 6
Easy Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce uses minimal ingredients to make the most flavorful creamy coating for fettuccini, spaghetti, or any shape you fancy. The best budget-friendly sauce that turns a simple supper into a delicious dinner!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces cubed cream cheese
- 1½ cups reserved pasta water or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley optional garnish
- 12 ounces cooked fettuccine or any shape pasta
Instructions
- Add the butter to a deep-sided 10 to 12-inch skillet or 5 to 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt.
- Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic. Stirring often to ensure the garlic does not burn. Cook for 1-1½ minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the cream cheese has melted. Be sure to stir constantly to keep the cream cheese from scorching.
- Whisk in the reserved pasta water or broth, onion powder, oregano, kosher salt, and pepper. Continue whisking for another 3-5 minutes until completely incorporated and smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the grated parmesan cheese. Continue whisking until the cheese is melted.
- Add in the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Jenn’s Notes
Makes: 2 ½ cups
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the pasta sauce for up to 1 month. Allow sauce to thaw overnight before reheating and serving.
- If the sauce is too thick, you can add more reserved cooking water to thin out the sauce before adding noodles. Vegetable broth or chicken broth can also be used.
- If the sauce is too thin, you can add some starchy pasta water.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. It will help it melt much faster.
- Use fresh grated Parmesan. The pre-shredded Parmesan won’t melt properly and will make the sauce grainy.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 710mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 769IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1mg
