5 Ingredient Creamy White Pasta Sauce Recipe (15 Minutes!) (2024)

I know that if I make pasta, my kids will eat it. When I'm too tired to even think about mealtime battles, I default to pasta. They could and would eat it every night, but are pretty particular about the sauce. While we can never go wrong with spaghetti sauce, we all need a change every now and then. White cream sauce with milk is the perfect alternative. Made with basic pantry and fridge ingredients, this sauce recipe is super creamy and tasty.

It takes only about 10 minutes. Not only is it quick, it's healthier than recipes made with heavy whipping cream and those bought from the store. There is a minimal preparation aside from mincing the garlic cloves. It's very similar to making a homemade mac and cheese sauce and broccoli and cheese soup.

Ingredients

• Milk: you can use skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk, or evaporated milk. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content, the richer the sauce will be. So whole milk will have a richer and thicker outcome than when using skim milk. I have not tried this with non-dairy milks.
• Flour: use all purpose flour rather than specialty flours.
• Parmesan cheese: use grated Parmesan instead of shredded, as grated incorporates better into the milk mixture. If using shredded, make sure it's freshly shredded and not packaged shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives that make it harder to melt without it turning rubbery or stringy.
• Butter
• Minced garlic
• Salt and pepper

Is White Sauce Pasta Healthy?

It's as healthy as the ingredients that go into it. So if you stick with the recipe as written and do not substitute or add variations, the recipe is not entirely unhealthy. The pasta does add carbs and the cheese adds fat, so be careful if you're on a keto or weight-loss diet.

Follow these easy steps to make a quick, creamy white pasta sauce.

Step 1: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Add the all-purpose flour and continue stirring constantly for 1 more minute. This will create a roux, which looks like a thick white paste. Make sure the burner is on medium and not high here. Roux burns easily.

Step 3: Slowly pour in the milk, stirring as you do so. Keep stirring after all the milk is in the pot, until the sauce thickens. Add the salt, black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Whisk constantly while the cheese melts. After the cheese has melted, simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the pot from the heat immediately when done and toss with cooked pasta.

White sauce is most delicious on pasta, but is fantastic drizzled over chicken, vegetables or baked salmon and shrimp.

It's also great mixed into rice dishes or served with crusty bread and vegetable side dishes.

What To Serve With White Cream Pasta:

• Salt and Pepper Green Beans
• Garlic Bread
• Asiago Cheese Bread
• Fried Asparagus Sticks Recipe
• Air Fryer Cauliflower with Herbs and Lemon

To make it a full meal, you can:

Add protein: serve with fried chicken tenders, grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

Add vegetables: add chopped spinach, kale, cherry/grape tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.

Add spices: make it spicy with a dash of red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, or even scotch bonnet powder. Fresh diced jalapeños can also be added.

MORE CREAMY PASTA RECIPES:

• Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
• Instant Pot Cajun Pasta
• One Pot Ricotta Lemon Pasta
• Creamy Pesto Sauce
• Tortellini with Tomato Spinach Cream Sauce

White Pasta Sauce

Kristina Tipps

White Pasta Sauceis creamy and delicious! This recipe is made with made with milk instead of heavy cream and is perfect for pastas and chicken casseroles. Ready in only 10 minutes! It's better and healthier than store bought pasta sauce.

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Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 12gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 927mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 354IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 353mgIron: 1mg