Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Printable)

Silky cream cheese and garlic blend with pasta and broccoli for a cozy meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 cheese for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli florets. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking 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 without browning.
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. Stir in grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water, adding gradually as needed.
05 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly with the sauce.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
  • Cream cheese melts into the sauce so smoothly you'd never guess it's the secret ingredient.
  • The broccoli stays just tender enough to feel like real vegetables, not an afterthought.
02 -
  • Don't let the garlic brown or it turns bitter—keep that heat medium and stay close to the pan.
  • Softening the cream cheese before you use it is the difference between a smooth sauce and one with tiny lumps that won't disappear.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks separated, add a splash more milk and whisk harder, it almost always comes back together.
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you'll need—it's easier to thicken a sauce than to thin one out.
  • Taste the sauce on its own before the pasta goes in so you can adjust seasoning while you still can.
Go Back