Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Print Version)

Creamy garlic sauce blends with tender pasta and broccoli for a cozy, satisfying dinner.

# 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 more for pasta water
10 - ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as directed until al dente. Add broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water, then drain pasta and broccoli.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, avoiding browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese to the skillet, and stir until it melts and becomes smooth.
04 - Whisk in milk gradually until sauce is creamy. Incorporate grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if used. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water, adding a little at a time.
05 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly with sauce.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can have restaurant-quality comfort food on a weeknight without the stress.
  • The cream cheese creates an unexpectedly luxurious sauce that clings to every piece of pasta and broccoli.
  • It's naturally vegetarian but feels substantial enough that no one will miss meat.
02 -
  • Don't let the garlic brown—it turns bitter and ruins the whole sauce, so medium heat is your friend here.
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining; it's liquid gold for adjusting sauce consistency and the starch helps everything cling together beautifully.
  • Softening the cream cheese at room temperature takes the stress out of melting and prevents lumpy sauce disasters.
03 -
  • Medium heat throughout is the secret to smooth sauce—high heat scrambles cream cheese and breaks the sauce, so patience pays off here.
  • Taste your sauce before adding pasta because salt and pepper levels matter more than you think, and it's easier to adjust now than after everything's mixed together.
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