Mmm š Creamy pastaārich, comforting, and endlessly customizable. Hereās a simple, foolproof creamy pasta base you can dress up with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, or veggies.
Easy Creamy Pasta (Base Recipe)
Serves: 4
Time: ~20 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta (fettuccine, penne, spaghetti, or rigatoni)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Ā½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & black pepper
- Optional: pinch of nutmeg or chili flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta
- Boil in well-salted water until al dente.
- Reserve Ā½ cup pasta water; drain.
- Make sauce
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Add garlic and sautĆ© 30 seconds (donāt brown).
- Add cream
- Pour in cream and simmer gently 3ā5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add cheese
- Lower heat and stir in Parmesan until smooth.
- Season with salt, pepper, and optional nutmeg.
- Combine
- Add pasta to sauce.
- Toss, adding pasta water a little at a time until silky.
- Serve
- Finish with extra Parmesan and black pepper.
š„ Pro Tips
- Low heat after adding cheese prevents grainy sauce
- Pasta water = creamy magic āØ
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for smooth melting
- Sauce thickens as it coolsāserve right away
š Easy Add-Ins
- Chicken: SautƩ diced chicken first, then make sauce in same pan
- Shrimp: Add raw shrimp, cook 2ā3 min per side
- Mushrooms: Brown before garlic for depth
- Spinach: Stir in at the end to wilt
- Bacon: Crisp first, crumble on top
š§ Variations
- Alfredo: Add more butter + extra Parmesan
- Garlic cream: Double the garlic
- Creamy tomato: Stir in Ā½ cup marinara
- Lemon cream: Add lemon zest + juice
If you want, tell me what protein or veggies you have, and Iāll tailor it exactly to your pantry š
