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This super simple and delicious White Sauce Pasta recipe is packed with flavor, loved by all and on the table in 20 minutes.
Too good NOT to Love!
We LOVE pasta so much that we have it for dinner every Tuesday night.
Our White Sauce Pasta recipe is one that is so simple and loved so much that it’s made at least once a month. In fact, it’s so easy that the older kids can make it on their own.
We love to serve it with some Fried Zucchini and Cheesy Garlic Bread (or Knots) and especially love that it’s made in no time. It’s honestly too good not to love.
Why you’ll love it:
- Simple and quick. You can make it start to finish in about 20 minutes.
- Basic ingredients. This type of sauce uses a flour roux made with flour, butter, and milk.
- Versatile. You can use the white sauce (also known as Béchamel sauce) as a base for other sauces (like Alfredo Sauce),or on pizza or in lasagna.
- Customizable. You can add any veggies or protein you like! Our favorite is adding chicken to make a Chicken Penne Pasta.
Ingredients
- penne – or another short pasta like macaroni or rotini
- unsalted butter
- minced garlic
- all-purpose flour – Make a gluten-free substitute using four parts potato starch to three parts cornflour. Once you have the mixture, measure out 3 tablespoons and use it in place of the flour.
- milk – Use whole milk for the creamiest pasta sauce, but you can also use 2% or fat free milk. If you want it extra thick, use half and half or heavy cream.
- chicken broth – or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
- mozzarella & parmesan cheese – To make the cheese sauce extra cheesy, add up to ½ cup more of each.
- season with parsley, garlic salt & black pepper – You can also add a teaspoon of red chili flakes or nutmeg.
How to Make White Sauce Pasta
- PASTA. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- ROUX. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
- BOIL. Add milk and broth to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens about 5 minutes.
- SEASON. Add Parmesan, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted.
- SERVE. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Add mozzarella and stir until melted. Serve warm.
Pro Tip!
When adding flour to the butter, make sure to cook it long enough or it will taste like flour. While adding milk, take your time pouring it slowly and whisk constantly or it may have lumps.
For even more tips, check out How to Make a Roux!
COMPLETE THE MEAL
- APPETIZERS: Easy Bruschetta, Mozzarella Sticks, Fried Zucchini
- SIDES: Garlic Knots, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Olive Garden Breadsticks, Focaccia Bread
- SALADS: Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Pesto Salad
- DESSERTS: Italian Cookies, Panna Cotta, Easy Chocolate Cake
Other Pasta Recipes: Spaghetti, Fettuccine Alfredo, Pasta Bake, Chicken Penne Pasta
More Collections: Sunday Dinner Ideas, Dinner Ideas for Kids, Italian Dinner
White Sauce Recipe
This super simple and delicious white sauce recipe is packed with flavor. This dish is perfect by itself or you can add chicken too!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package (about 4 cups) penne
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- garlic salt with parsley flakes or salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or additional Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
- Add milk and broth and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens about 5 minutes.
- Add Parmesan, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted.
- Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Add mozzarella and stir until melted. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Variations. Try adding cubed grilled chicken, chicken sausage, diced ham or shrimp for protein, or adding vegetables like halved cherry tomatoes or steamed asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms. You can also change up the flavoring with spices and herbs such as red chili flakes (for heat), dried Italian seasoning, and fresh basil or parsley.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 191kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 512mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 450IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 251mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Can I add veggies or protein to this dish?
- Protein. Try adding meats such as grilled chicken, diced ham, or shrimp (we love our Chicken Penne Pasta).
- Produce. Add produce such as halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
How to best store?
- Leftover cream pasta sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- 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.
How to freeze?
- 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 this simple pasta recipe in the fridge and reheat on the stove top stirring constantly to keep the cream base from curdling. Adding a bit more milk will help smooth out the texture.
For more easy pasta recipes:
Recipe adapted from HERE.
Used this recipe & I was IMPRESSED!!!! It came out so good !!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
A hit with the entire family, including my 13yo who is picky. I added some fresh steamed broccoli since all my meat was frozen. Would be good with spinach or peas too!
The fresh steamed broccoli sounds heavenly for this recipe. I should try that out too! I’m glad your family liked it so much!
Haven’t made this yet. Wanted to ask if you can substitute the chicken broth with vegetable? TY
You sure can! Vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth in this recipe.
Really yummy! But, my flour clumped up and found it need lemon juice and more parmesan cheese! My 6 year old pasta critic said “momma this is really good but, it needs more cheese!”
Glad you liked the taste! Nothing wrong with adding more cheese 🙂 Thank you!
My fussy son loved this sauce
Woohoo!! My job is done! Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times as my family loves it!! One of the reasons I love it so much is because it doesn’t call for heavy cream and is quick to make on our busy nights. I use 1% milk, FF chicken broth, and add red pepper flakes for an extra kick. I always make it with chicken but tonight I added spinach, sundried tomatoes and shrimp and WOW!! Super yummy! Thanks Kristyn!
You are welcome!! Thank you for sharing what you do! Sounds perfect!
I made this for the first time ever. Perfect dish for Lent. I halved the pasta and made 2/3rds of the sauce for extra creaminess since it is just the two of us. I added peas for veggie tonight, but I will be trying other toppings for sure! Other veggies, chicken, BACON? Possibilities are endless. Thank you for creating this new staple in my recipe box.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And bacon goes well with just about anything. 😉
Easy to make and I had all the ingredients for a last minute pasta dish. I added sauted shrimp to top it off. My husband kept saying, “restaurant quality”. He had 3 servings. I also was impressed how easy the recipe was to follow and the ingredients and aroma all came together for a delicious pasta sauce. I will be making this again with other toppings.
That makes me so happy & I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing that!
I thought it will be bad but it was so good I love it.
Thank you for trying it 🙂 Glad you liked it!
I loved this for my first time making Alfred. Im only 10 and this was amazing My family loves it and I do to I highly recommend this. 🍝
Yay!! Thanks for recommending it! Glad you tried it!
WOW! Made this tonight and all my husband said between mouthfuls and a heaping second helping of the angel hair pasta it went over was…”winning” and “keep this recipe or put it in ur memory” hahahaha!! Such a simplistic sauce yet sophisticated enough for any dish u would use a nice creamy white sauce for…i did add some lemon juice to it to play up the flavor profile a little…was suuuuuper gooood….our recently turned picky toddler even enjoyed this and ate it all!! He said mmmm mmmmm lol..happy mama!! Thx for a “winning” sauce that will go into my “memory bank” and be a regularly used delicious sauce.
You are so welcome!! That makes my day! Thank you so much for sharing that!
Kristen, aka “Lil Luna,”
You killed it with the white sauce! Easy peasy and delicious.
Thanks! I love easy and tasty! Glad you liked it!
Thank you so much for the recipe.
I was looking for the recipe everywhere 👍🏻😋😋
I’m going to make tonight
You’re so welcome! Let me know how it goes! 🙂