Cream Cheese Pasta

5 from 21 votes

Here I'll show you a secret tip to getting truly creamy Cream Cheese Pasta without the sauce drying up. With just 5 ingredients, this easy pasta dish is a total winner!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Frying Pan & Wooden Spoon
Large Pot & Colander
Pasta Tongs
Fine Cheese Grater
Mug or 1 cup Measuring Cup (for scooping pasta water)

Ingredients

200g / 7oz Spaghetti
dash of Olive Oil, for frying
1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
100g / 3.5oz Ham, chopped (see notes for subs)
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
100g / 3.5oz Cream Cheese
20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Right before draining, reserve a cup of starchy pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a large pan add a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for 20-30 seconds (careful it doesn't burn), then stir in the ham and fry until it just starts to turn golden.
Melt in 2 tbsp butter, then add about 80ml / 1/3 cup of starchy pasta water. Quickly whisk in a circular motion to create an emulsion and combine the starchy water with the butter. The water should go cloudy and thicken slightly.
Turn the heat down slightly and stir in cream cheese until it melts, then stir in the parmesan until it blends into the sauce. Season to taste then add the cooked spaghetti. Toss the spaghetti until the sauce thickens around and clings to it. If it dries out at all just toss in more starchy water a splash at a time. If you go overboard just continue tossing the pasta until the sauce re-thickens.
Serve with extra helpings of parmesan. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) What Cream Cheese to use? - I use Philadelphia (not sponsored) but use a good quality brand. The cream cheese is the main event so don't skimp out on something low quality. Also, make sure it's full-fat for a fuller flavour!

b) How much pasta water to use? - Start off with 1/3 cup to create the emulsion, add in all of your other ingredients and then adjust accordingly. Important to scoop the water out JUST before draining to ensure it's nice and starchy (the starch is what helps turn the sauce creamy). Also important to heavily salt the water so you don't dilute the flavour of the sauce.

c) What Can I add to Cream Cheese Pasta? - I use leftover ham because that's usually what's knocking about in my fridge, but you can really add anything you fancy! Just keep it to around 3.5oz/100g so you don't overload the pasta. Other ideas are:

Bacon
Mushrooms
Leftover Chicken
Roasted Veggies
Smoked Sausage

Seasoning wise this creamy sauce takes on fresh thyme nicely. You could also spice it up with a pinch of chilli flakes!

d) Can I reheat this pasta? - I wouldn't make this ahead of time for the purpose of reheating. Fresh is certainly best. BUT, don't waste leftovers. Just tightly cover in the fridge for 2-3days then reheat on the stove over a low heat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen up the sauce again.

e) Calories - based on using 1 tsp olive oil for frying and shared between 2 people.

Nutrition