Creamy Garlic Pasta
Fire up the Netflix because this creamy garlic pasta is all about a cozy night in. It’s a quick 20ish-minute dinner that’s rich, creamy and decadent. In the time it takes to boil the fettuccine the mascarpone cream sauce with garlic is ready to go.
Are there ever enough pasta recipes? The answer, of course, is a resounding “no” and today we’re adding one more to the collection: Creamy Garlic Pasta. Here are the details:
- The name doesn’t lie. The mascarpone cream sauce is velvety rich and creamy.
- You only have to chop two things: the garlic and the parsley.
- It takes 22 minutes start to finish. I like specificity.
- You will want to eat it straight from the pan.
Mascarpone Garlic Cream Sauce
This creamy garlic pasta looks like fettuccine Alfredo except it has mascarpone cheese. Have you tried it? It’s a soft Italian cheese that’s similar to cream cheese but it’s not tangy. It’s soft, spreadable and melts like a dream into the sauce. Look for it near the other specialty cheeses at the grocery store.
Here’s what you need:
- Butter
- Garlic
- Heavy cream
- Mascarpone cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley
Recipe Tips
- I used fettuccine for this recipe which needs about 12 minutes to cook. I like to finish it in the sauce so go ahead and shave two minutes off the boiling time so the it can finish cooking in the sauce.
- The sauce doesn’t take long at all, so don’t start making it until you add your fettuccine to the boiling water.
- The cream sauce will seem thin at first but as it simmers it will thicken up. Once you add the pasta it will thicken even more.
- This creamy garlic pasta is best enjoyed when it’s made because the sauce will break if it’s reheated. The recipe serves four, but you can halve it if you want a dinner for two.
- I like this as a “Netflix dinner” which is to say straight from the pan to a bowl without anything else. To fancy it up, add a salad or veggie on the side. Maybe some crusty bread, too?
Happy cooking,
More Easy Recipes
PrintCreamy Garlic Pasta
This creamy garlic pasta is a quick 20ish-minute dinner that’s rich and decadent. Add a salad or veg on the side to dress it up or enjoy it straight from the pan. Either way works, well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Boil the pasta for two minutes less than what’s indicated on the package. While the pasta is boiling, make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook it in the butter for two to three minutes. Add the cream and turn the heat to medium-high. Whisk the cream and butter togeter and, once the cream heats through and is barely simmering, add the mascarpone cheese. Continue whisking until it has melted into the cream mixture.
- Add the Asiago cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley. Continue whisking until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce until you are ready to add the pasta.
- Add the pasta and, stirring constantly, mix it into the sauce for two minutes. The sauce will thicken as you stir. Once the sauce is thickenened it’s ready to serve.
Notes
This pasta is best enjoyed when it’s made and it’s great for leftovers. When reheated the sauce has a tendency to break. You can easily halve the recipe if you are only serving one or two.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 459
- Sugar: 3.2g
- Sodium: 740.4mg
- Fat: 25.5g
- Saturated Fat: 15.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.0g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 46.1g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 11.7g
- Cholesterol: 72.3mg
Keywords: creamy garlic pasta, creamy mascarpone pasta recipe
I made this last night with some changes. I added a small shallot with the garlic and replaced the parsley with celery leaves (I don’t care for parsley). I also used Old Bay seasoning in addition to the salt and pepper. Also added a teaspoon of lemon zest, a light squeeze of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of chicken stock to thin it out a little bit. Topped it off with grilled shrimp. The fam loved it and it was all gone before bed.
★★★★★
Love the additions you made! Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the rating 🙂
Omg best sauce ever! We doctored this a bit, adding pancetta, toasted walnuts, and some lemon zest and lemon juice. The sauce was soooo good and I told my bf it was the best thing he’s ever made!
★★★★★
I’ve tried many recipes from the internet and liked the vast majority, however, I’ve never left a comment. For this one, I had to. My absolute favorite restaurant meal is Olive Garden’s fettucini alfredo, hands down. And now I never have to go spend the gas, time, and money again. This recipe tastes EXACTLY like it. It’s FANTASTIC! I made it just as listed, topping with sauteed mushrooms and baked chicken. My family loved it too. Perfect!
★★★★★
You made my day! I’m so glad you love the recipe 🙂