Quick & Easy Cream Cheese Pasta

An easy pasta recipe is always a great choice for busy weeknights! Not only quick to make, but this Cream Cheese Pasta is also a low-budget meal that comes together in under 20 minutes and is likely to be enjoyed by the whole family, including vegetarians and meat eaters! The creamy sauce covering the al dente pasta is an extremely satisfying thing to eat, especially when paired with earthy dried-fried mushrooms. You will be surprised how flavoursome this easy pasta dish can be with just a handful of ingredients!

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Ingredients and Substitutes

One of our favourite pasta dishes, this recipe will only require 7 basic ingredients that are likely part of your weekly shop.

• pasta: there’s no need to make your own or buy fresh pasta for this recipe. As long as it’s cooked correctly (and by that we mean, al dente), it will taste wonderful. The flavour of it is all in the cream cheese pasta sauce.
• mushrooms: closed cup, chestnut, cremini, shiitake, portobello or any other mushrooms you enjoy will work here. If you or your family do not enjoy the flavour or texture of mushrooms, feel free to substitute them with cooked shredded chicken, prawns or halved cherry tomatoes. You can also make it into a creamy bacon pasta dish.
• brown onion: can be substituted with white onion or shallots.
• fresh garlic cloves: adds tons of flavor to the sauce and are an essential ingredient in the cream cheese sauce, in our opinion. If you must, substitute them with garlic powder.
• cream cheese: we use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. Because creamy cheese sauce is the start of the dish in this recipe, it’s important to use the best quality cream cheese. However, we think that a good Supermarket’s own brand and big brands like Philadelphia cream cheese both work equally well.
• stock: we like this dish with vegetable stock or chicken broth.
• parmesan cheese: can be substituted with cheaper alternatives, like Padana Grano or mature Cheddar. Different cheeses will add a slightly different flavour, but as long as you like the cheese you use, it’ll be great!
• you will also need olive oil, salt and ground black pepper.

Method

Step 1: Dry-Fry Your Mushrooms

Start by preparing your mushrooms. If you’re using small mushrooms, cut them in quarters. But if you have large portobello or flat mushrooms, cut them into 0.5cm wedges.

Place them in a dry non-stick pan (large skillet) and cook on medium-high heat, stirring them occasionally to make sure they don’t catch. The mushrooms will likely release water and will certainly shrink by at least half the size. Carry on cooking until all the moisture has evaporated from the pan and your mushrooms are well browned. Dry-fried mushrooms add a wonderful savoury flavour to this easy cream cheese pasta recipe.

Once your mushrooms are ready, take them out of the pan and into a small bowl or a plate. Reserve the pan.

Step 2: Cook Pasta

Cook pasta in salted boiling water following the package instructions.

Step 3: Make The Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce

Return the pan to low-medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and carry on cooking for another minute. Finally, add the cream cheese, crumble in the stock and add about 100ml (* this is the amount of water for 2 portions, adjust if making more pasta) of starchy pasta water into the pan and cook on low heat stirring continuously until well combined. If the sauce is looking thinner than you’d like, leave it to simmer for a minute or two to reduce more. If your sauce gets too thick, add more starchy pasta water or a splash of milk.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add it to the sauce alongside the mushrooms. Stir for 20-30 seconds to combine and for mushrooms to warm through. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. Then divide the pasta between bowls and top with parmesan cheese! Garnish with parsley, if you like!

What To Serve Cream Cheese Pasta With?

Cheesy pasta in a creamy sauce is known to go well with garlic bread, right? Absolutely! Serve it with a couple of slices (or a whole baguette) or crusty herby garlic bread and a simple green salad or vegetables on the side. We really like Courgette Ribbon Salad or Tenderstem Broccoli with this pasta.

How To Store Leftover Pasta?

If you have leftovers, cool the pasta down to room temperature and add it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. An easy way to reheat it is in a microwave, but you can also place the leftovers in a pan with a little bit of milk or water and stir until warmed through. Note though, that your pasta will no longer be al dente after you reheat it and your mushrooms will have a different texture.

TIP: If you are intending to store this delicious cream cheese pasta for later (rather than eat it immediately) intentionally undercook the pasta to start with!

Other Creamy Pasta Recipes

If you enjoy an easy dinner that uses simple ingredients, you are in the right company! Here’s what we recommend you try next:

• Creamy Boursin Pasta
• Quick Smoked Mackerel Pasta
• Lemon Ricotta Pasta
• Smoked Salmon and Spinach Pasta

Recipe Card

Quick & Easy Cream Cheese Pasta

An easy pasta recipe is always a great choice for busy weeknights! Not only quick to make, but this Cream Cheese Pasta is also a low-budget meal that comes together in under 20 minutes and is likely to be enjoyed by the whole family, including vegetarians and meat eaters! The creamy sauce covering the al dente pasta is an extremely satisfying thing to eat, especially when paired with earthy dried-fried mushrooms. You will be surprised how flavoursome this easy pasta dish can be with just a handful of ingredients!

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, British, Italian

Servings 2 portions

Calories 633 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 200 g pasta
• 250 g mushrooms sliced
• 1 brown onion very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 100 g cream cheese
• ½ stock cube
• 10 g parmesan
• 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped, optional for garnish

Instructions

 

• Start by preparing your mushrooms. If you're using small mushrooms, cut them in quarters. But if you have large portobello or flat mushrooms, cut them into 0.5cm wedges.
• Place them in a dry non-stick pan (large skillet) and cook on medium-high heat, stirring them occasionally to make sure they don't catch. Carry on cooking until all the moisture has evaporated from the pan and your mushrooms are well browned.
• Once your mushrooms are ready, take them out of the pan and into a small bowl or a plate. Reserve the pan.
• Cook pasta in salted boiling water following the package instructions.
• Return the pan to low-medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and carry on cooking for another minute.
• Finally, add the cream cheese, crumble in the stock and add about 100ml (* this is the amount of water for 2 portions, adjust if making more pasta) of starchy pasta water into the pan and cook on low heat stirring continuously until well combined. If the sauce is looking thinner than you'd like, leave it to simmer for a minute or two to reduce more. If your sauce gets too thick, add more starchy pasta water or a splash of milk.
• Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add it to the sauce alongside the mushrooms. Stir for 20-30 seconds to combine and for mushrooms to warm through. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. Then divide the pasta between bowls and top with parmesan cheese! Garnish with parsley, if you like!

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 23gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 513mgPotassium: 915mgFiber: 8gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 880IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 204mgIron: 17mg

Keyword Cream Cheese Pasta, Cream Cheese Pasta Recipe, Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce, Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Mushroom PAsta, PAsta with Mushrooms, Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce

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