Name: Creamy White Sauce Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 pound pasta noodles of any shape: spaghetti, bucatini, penne, riagotni, cavatappi, etc.; 2 tablespoons salted butter; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 2 cups 2% milk; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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This white sauce pasta has an amazing basic cream sauce that everyone will love! Eat it it straight up or customize with more veggies or protein.

Hello, pasta lovers. You never need to make box mac and cheese again. Enter this basic White Sauce Pasta! This is a staple recipe in our house. The basic cream sauce is so creamy and full of flavor, and get this: it doesn’t even use cream! All you need is a handful of ingredients you probably already have on hand. It takes just 10 minutes: enough time to make the pasta. Eat it straight up, as a pasta side dish, or add more raw or cooked veggies to the sauce. A quick dinner idea made in minutes!

Looking for vegan? Go to Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo.

Ingredients for white sauce pasta

You might already have the ingredients for this white sauce pasta in your pantry and fridge. You’ll be amazed at the big flavor that comes from simple ingredients! Because of that, we think it’s highly superior to boxed mac and cheese. The basic cream sauce uses 2% milk, not heavy cream, and makes the most luscious white sauce you’ll have. Here’s what you need:

Pasta of any shape
Salted butter
Garlic
Flour
Milk
Salt
Parmesan cheese

Want a variation? Try this White Wine Sauce, made with white wine and cream!

How to make a cream sauce: some tips!

Making a basic cream sauce is a technique that all home cooks should know. You’ll start by making a roux (pronounced “roo”). A roux is flour and butter cooked together and used to thicken sauces. It’s usually made from equal parts of flour and butter. Here are a few tips for this process, because the cooking happens fast:

Measure out all the ingredients first, and don’t leave the stove! The cooking process goes quickly, so you don’t want to have to stop to measure an ingredient. Don’t get distracted, especially in the first few minutes!
Saute the garlic only 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook: you don’t want it to brown!
Add flour and whisk constantly. The flour can overcook in an instant, turning a brown color. Only cook it until it’s golden.
Whisk in the milk gradually. Add just a little milk, then whisk it in. Continue adding little bits until the sauce is smooth. Then cook about 5 minutes until thickened, and add the Parmesan and salt. Voila!

Pasta shapes that work well

You can use any sort of pasta shape for this white sauce pasta! But we have a few recommendations for what we like best. Here are our top choices for pasta:

Bucatini: Instead of spaghetti or fettucini, our favorite long noodles are bucatini. They’re like spaghetti noodles that are hollow. They have much more texture than spaghetti and are more fun to eat!
Rigatoni: For a short noodle, we love the texture and look of rigatoni. Penne is another natural option.
Cavatappi: Cavatappi is a fun corkscrew shape that’s great with white sauce!

Variations: add-in for white sauce pasta!

Here’s the fun part: how to serve white sauce pasta! It’s just carbs and dairy, so you’re going to want to add some colorful veggies or more protein as a side or in the pasta itself. Here are some ideas for add-ins:

Tomatoes: Add sliced cherry tomatoes or chopped ripe tomatoes
Zucchini: Thinly slice it and add it raw, or saute it (you can add about half the linked recipe)
Spinach or Kale: Wilt it down in a pan for a few minutes, then lightly salt it before adding. *Tip: Or, throw baby spinach or baby kale in the colander and drain the pasta water on top of it: it cooks instantly!
Broccoli: Chop broccoli and saute it or pan fry it.
Bell peppers: Chop and saute bell peppers with onion, then add.
Herbs: Add chopped fresh herbs of any kind.
Shrimp: Add Garlic Butter Shrimp for an insanely flavorful main dish. Or make Creamy Shrimp Pasta!

Fast side dishes to pair

Want to add nutrients to this white sauce pasta in a side dish? Here are a few quick side dishes to add:

White beans: Add plant-based protein with these 5-minute Easy Cannellini Beans or Easy White Beans.
Sauteed veggies: Try Simple Sauteed Broccoli, Perfect Sauteed Carrots, Peas with Lemon, Sauteed Green Beans or Lemony Steamed Green Beans
Leafy greens: Try Best Ever Sauteed Kale, Sauteed Spinach, or Sauteed Rainbow Chard
Salad: Try Easy Arugula Salad, Easy Cabbage Salad

This white sauce pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, go to Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo.