This One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta is not only creamy and delicious but it’s super quick to make, ready in 30 minutes and pure comfort food! The secret of this one pot dish is in its simplicity!
One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
This is one of those one pot dishes I absolutely love because they’re so simple, quick but still pack lots of flavor. Totally a crowd pleaser. It’s the kind of dish that’s perfect for a busy mid-week meal, low effort but incredible output.
This beats the classic way of making pasta, so having said that, this is not a classic Italian dish. It’s simply meant to speed up your cooking process but still have delicious flavors. Lots of cream, parmesan cheese, garlic, all good stuff, so let’s get started.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Creamy Parmesan Pasta
Here’s what you’ll need to make this yummy pasta. As usual, keep on scrolling down to get the complete printable recipe.
- Pasta – I like to use penne or fettuccine but really any pasta will work, even spaghetti or elbow macaroni.
- Parmesan cheese – there’s no such thing as pasta without cheese. Get a good Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself, makes all the difference. It will melt into the sauce nicely, trust me.
- Chicken broth – use a low sodium chicken broth, organic if possible, or simply make your own.
- Heavy cream – you’ll want to use something with lots of fat as a base for this saucy penne. You can use half and half or milk but keep in mind that it will result in a more liquid-y sauce.
- Garlic – this will give you lots of flavor, so throw in lots of garlic!
- Olive oil – just a bit to saute the garlic in it.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
- Parsley – just a little bit for garnish and to give your pasta a burst of fresh flavor.
How To Make Creamy Parmesan Pasta In One Pot
Saute the garlic: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add pasta and broth: Stir in the chicken broth, milk and penne. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta: Bring everything to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked through.
Stir in the cheese: Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Some Tips…
This is a very forgiving recipe, literally fool-proof. If you find the sauce is too thick or the pasta is not cooked but you ran out of liquid, simply add another splash of hot water. Keep in mind that the pasta should be al dente, meaning cooked but still firm to the bite.
Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, it really does make all the difference. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will melt beautifully into the sauce while store bought might not.
Experiment with ingredients. This is a great basic recipe that can be quite versatile, so add some veggies or protein to it if you want. Try adding some cooked chicken, or some veggies like asparagus, broccoli or mushrooms.
How To Store Leftover Creamy Parmesan Pasta
This dish is also delicious the next day, just be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 – 4 days. You can freeze this recipe too, it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Here’s More Ways To Get Your Creamy Pasta Fix:
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
- Mushroom Pasta
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- One Pot Spaghetti
- Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
- Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
- Beef Stroganoff
- One Pot Sausage Pasta
Craving More? Follow Along:
One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounce penne uncooked
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Saute the garlic:Â Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add pasta and broth:Â Stir in the chicken broth, milk and penne. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta:Â Bring everything to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked through.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- If you find the sauce is too thick or the pasta is not cooked but you ran out of liquid, simply add another splash of hot water. Keep in mind that the pasta should be al dente, meaning cooked but still firm to the bite.
- This dish is also delicious the next day, just be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 – 4 days. You can freeze this recipe too, it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Kristen says
What a great recipe and technique for pasta cooking! I made it with a rustic Italian pasta a bit like pearl couscous, and didn’t have parmesan on hand, so added gruyere instead, with some bacon crumbles on top. Used Better than Bouillon so no need to add salt. It came out creamy and tangy and really tasty. This will be a regular for us! (Using the leftover pasta in a casserole like mac and cheese and…who knows…later this week). By the way, I used the amount of pasta by weight and ended up with the right amount of liquid, with this recipe. (8 oz of pasta, regardless of how it’s shaped).
Amy says
Just made this and it’s delicious!! Are the nutrition facts for the whole dish or just one serving?
Joanna Cismaru says
Just one serving. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Mara says
Half of my family hates Alfredo and other cream sauces and the other half loves it! This creamy pasta recipe is a major hit and highly requested by both parties. It’s been adjusted to accommodate whatever it is that goes along with the meal – like swapping out chicken stock for seafood stock when we add shrimp and scallops to it. Definitely one of the best and easiest recipes I use.