If you love cream cheese and pasta then this is your recipe! It is perfect in every way and dinner just got a little bit easier.
Cream Cheese With Pasta Recipe
Pasta with cream cheese is the pasta dish you make when time is of the essence and you want something simple yet comforting on a busy weeknight. I call this recipe ‘fast pace recipe’ because all you have to do is boil the pasta until al dente then toss it in the creamy cheese sauce. season to taste with salt and pepper and you are done. However, you have to work really fast! This Philly pasta recipe is similar to my canned tuna pasta and pink sauce pasta, a cheap meal that doesn’t taste cheap. It honestly does taste like something you order in a restaurant. Think of it as alfredo sauce but only better. I like to serve it with air fryer chicken breast or baked cod with tomatoes. So if you are short on time and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen this creamy pasta recipe is for you. It is a great way to use up leftover cream cheese. I love how it’s so easy to make and that you can easily customize the flavors! It can be made gluten-free all you need to do is substitute with gluten-free pasta. Also, you don’t have to use Philadelphia cheese for this recipe, any brand of soft cheese would work just fine. Related recipe: Boursin pasta! creamy, comforting, and delicious.
What you will need for this recipe
Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make this super easy cream cheese pasta Spaghetti: substitute with linguine or any other type of pasta of choice Cream cheese Garlic: fresh garlic all the way here as it would work better for flavor than garlic granules or powder. Butter substitute with olive oil or avocado oil Parmesan cheese: I am not trying to be a snub but please, use parmesan cheese grated by your very self. It tastes better than the pre-shredded one. Salt and black pepper
How to make cream cheese pasta
Boil the pasta: Bring spaghetti to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Follow the package instructions, usually, it will take 6-8 min to get al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water but do not drain the spaghetti yet. It is important not to overcook the pasta at this point. Remember, this is a fast-paced recipe, you need to work quickly from here, to avoid soggy pasta. The next steps will take you less than 5 minutes. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, add garlic, and saute until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Stir cream cheese into the fragrant butter just until melted. Add in the shredded parmesan cheese and stir into the melted cream cheese until combined. Stir about 1 cup of pasta water into the melted cheese and mix until smooth and creamy. Taste and season accordingly with salt and black pepper and add more pasta water if need be. Reduce the heat, drain the pasta and stir it in the cream cheese sauce, gently toss to coat with the sauce. Take it off the heat and serve immediately with some more black pepper or red pepper flakes and fresh parsley.
Tips on making cream cheese pasta
Make sure to use good-quality cheese for this dish because it is what makes it great.
You can substitute with any brand of cream cheese you like. I usually use Philadelphia for this dish, but supermarket brands are also good and definitely cheaper. There is no need to be out of pocket for this recipe.
Feel free to substitute with any pasta of your choice or gluten-free pasta if you are making it gluten-free.
You can make parmesan crisps to top it off and serve with garlic bread if you would be serving this dish on its own without meat.
Use more cream cheese and parmesan cheese if desired.
Stir in some spinach or kale into the pasta to make it more nutritious.
How to store leftover your philly pasta
I think this spaghetti dish is best eaten right away, however, if you have leftovers, make sure it cools completely before storing it away in the fridge. Also, it is important not to let the leftover sit out longer than necessary. You can store it in the fridge, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. No, this recipe does not freeze well so I wouldn’t recommend it. To reheat: You can reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat or in a microwave. If the pasta seems dry add some water (or milk) to wake the cream cheese up when reheating.
Watch how to make this recipe
What to serve with cream cheese pasta
This is a great pasta dish and I like to serve it with air fryer marinated vegetables or cauliflower steak with a side of garlic bread when I want a meatless meal. On other days, you will catch me serving my cream cheese pasta with Baked pork steak Bacon bits or cubed cooked ham Easy baked chicken drumsticks Air fryer steak bites Sauteed peas
More easy 15 minutes pasta recipes
Garlic butter pasta Creamy tuna pasta salad Canned tuna pasta Creamy mushroom pasta Roasted red pepper pasta Creamy shrimp pasta salad Creamy bacon pasta If you made this super easy pasta with a cream cheese recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
