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!
Ingredients
- 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
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