Super simple and delicious Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta recipe packed with flavor. This dish is perfect by itself or you can add chicken too!
This is one of our favorite white sauce pastas because it’s SO simple and easy! Whenever I crave a white sauce recipe, I also love to make chicken alfredo, pasta carbonara, or cheesy garlic tortellini.
White Sauce Pasta
I LOVE pasta! I mean, who doesn’t?! Yes, it has carbs, but this girl needs it in her life because I cook with it ALL the time. In fact, now that I think about it, we usually have pasta at least once a week, whether it’s in salad form, or a main dish.
From Spaghetti to Fettuccine Alfredo, pasta is something the whole family loves, so we have it quite often. This next recipe is another one of those dishes you can add to the meal plan, because it’s simple and definitely delicious.
This Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta is a white sauce pasta that is great on it’s own, but could be even heartier if you add chicken or another favorite meat.
If you like pasta dishes I would definitely try this one out. It’s super cheesy and has just the right touch of garlic and other spices making it another “go-to” dinner recipe!
How to make white sauce:
One of the main reasons we love this dish is because it’s simple and quick! You can make it start to finish in about 20 minutes. That’s my kind of dinner recipe! Just follow these easy steps to make this creamy pasta sauce which can be added to any pasta.
Cook Pasta. Begin by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions (we used penne).
Make Sauce. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add flour and cook for an addition minute, stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce boils and thickens. Add parsley and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese has melted.
Combine. Mix in pasta and serve immediately.
Tip: If you want your pasta to be extra cheesy, add ½-1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese (we like to use shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan).
Change it up
Protein. There are so many things you can add to spruce up this delicious dish. Try adding meats such as grilled chicken, diced ham or shrimp.
Produce. You can also add produce such as halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
Spice. To add a little heat, sprinkle on some red chili flakes.
What to do with leftovers
Storing. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Reheating. We typically reheat this pasta in the microwave, but this can also be done in a pot on the stove. You may need to add a little more broth if it’s too thick when reheating.
Freezing. If you plan to freeze this dish, leave the pasta undercooked as the freezing process will make thoroughly cooked pasta mushy. Store the cooked dish in a freezer safe airtight container for months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove top stirring constantly to keep the cream base from curdling.
Just another quick, easy dinner meal! We hope you love this easy pasta dish.
What to serve with Creamy Penne Pasta:
For more easy pasta recipes, check out:
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Garlic Tortellini Pasta
- Easy Fettuccine
- Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta
- Bowtie Pasta with Italian Sausage
White Sauce Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to packaged directions.
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add garlic.
- Cook for 1 minute over medium heat
- Add flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce boils and thickens.
- Add parsley and parmesan cheese. Add desired salt and pepper. Continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
- Pour sauce over pasta and serve.
Video
Recipe adapted from HERE.
Adding 1 cup broth and 1 cup milk to 3 tablespoons of flour made for a very very thick sauce. Adding another cup of milk made it much more manageable.
If you want a super thick sauce, follow the instructions.
Overall, pretty good. A few modifications makes it excellent.
Thanks for your feedback!
I want to make this but was wondering how much salt you add? I know it says to taste but what would be a good starting point. Thank you
I usually just do a few shakes of salt to start and then add from there if I feel it needs more. If measuring it out, maybe 1/8 tsp and go from there. If that’s not enough, gradually add a little more in.
Loved this recipe!! I ran out of Alfredo sauce so I used this recipe. It is delicious! I didn’t have parsley, but it was still very good tasting.
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Not enough information.
Sorry to hear you felt there wasn’t enough information. Please let us know if you have any specific questions regarding the recipe that we can help answer. 🙂
Just tried this amd must say that I love it
Yay!! I’m glad so to hear that!
I have made this several times and I will never go back to store bought sauce again! The only change I make is I add another cup of parmesan. Thank you!