Cream Cheese Garlic Pasta (Printable)

A creamy pasta dish with garlic sauce, broccoli, and smooth cream cheese.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine

→ Vegetables

02 - 10 oz broccoli florets

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced
05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - ½ cup milk
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
10 - ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and broccoli.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low and stir in the softened cream cheese until melted and smooth.
04 - Whisk in milk gradually to create a creamy sauce. Add grated Parmesan, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust thickness by adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
05 - Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Gently toss to ensure everything is evenly coated with the sauce.
06 - Plate immediately, garnishing with chopped fresh parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire meal comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can actually relax before eating instead of stressing in the kitchen.
  • Cream cheese melts into the silkiest sauce imaginable—no flour roux or cream required, just pure velvety comfort.
  • It's genuinely flexible; you can throw in chicken, shrimp, or swap the broccoli for whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or becomes grainy, you've likely overheated the cream cheese—medium-low heat is your friend here, and patience matters more than speed.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain; it's liquid gold for adjusting your sauce consistency and its starchy quality helps the sauce coat the pasta instead of sliding off.
  • Don't skip adding the broccoli directly to the pasta water—it cooks perfectly tender that way and you keep your sink from overflowing with extra pots.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh just before cooking—pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting into the sauce as smoothly, and you'll taste the difference.
  • If you're nervous about the cream cheese breaking, warm it separately with a splash of milk first, then add it to the hot skillet—this gives you more control and fewer lumps.
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