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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.
Excellent recipe!!! My family loves it. I also added shrimp and spinach.
Thank you & yes, that would be perfect!
This is good but I don’t know why milk was used instead of heavy cream to make the sauce. I of course made it with the cream. Better with the cream.
Sometimes, when I am out of cream, I will use the milk. And, that is what happened for this recipe. But, both work great 🙂 Thank you for trying it!
I tried this recipe for the first time tonight and it was delicious. This will be in my rotation for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yay! Love hearing that! Thank you so much for trying it & letting me know!
This was so delicious and easy to make. I had my young boys do most of the work after I prepped it. We added Italian sausage and served with lots of veggies on the side. We will most definitely make again. Thank you!
Great way to get them involved! I am glad it was a hit! Thank you!
I made this tonight. I added chicken, shrimp, red, yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms, a variety of different colored cherry tomatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus. My family absolutely loved it!
Sounds great!! Thank you for sharing!
very nice penne pasta super
Thanks so much!! Hope you give it a try!
love it, i do it now, This is now on my list of dinners to make when I need something quick.
Let me know what you think, when you try it!
I’m planning to make for dinner today. Can I leave the sauce at room temperature?
I am so sorry to have not responded sooner. It should have been ok:) What did you think?
Your recipes look great! I printed out some. I can’t wait to try some of them in the school cafeteria where I work. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
You are so welcome & thank you!! I hope the kids like them 🙂 Let me know what you hear!
I don’t like to cook and I’m not very good at it but I love food! This recipe is the easiest white sauce recipe to make and it taste very, very good!! It only needs a few ingredients and once you begin cooking, it goes smoothly and fast. I highly recommend.
Thank you so much Leslie for sharing that!! And, I agree..that’s why we love it 🙂