Creamy Sauce Pasta Dish (Printable Version)
Silky pasta combined with creamy sauce enriched by garlic and Parmesan, perfect for quick or elegant dinners.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried fettuccine or spaghetti
02 - Salt for boiling water
→ Creamy Sauce
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional
09 - Salt to taste
→ Garnish
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
# Method:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain pasta.
02 - Melt unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Whisk in grated Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Continue simmering for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss well to coat in sauce. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water incrementally to adjust consistency.
06 - Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- It's ready in 30 minutes but tastes like you actually tried, which is the whole point of weeknight cooking.
- The sauce clings to pasta in that glossy, dreamy way that makes ordinary dinners feel a little luxurious.
- Once you nail the technique, you can improvise endlessly—add mushrooms last week, spinach this week, whatever's calling to you.
02 -
- Don't let the garlic brown or your whole sauce tastes bitter—medium heat and constant attention are your friends here.
- That reserved pasta water is liquid gold; it's what saves you when your sauce gets too thick, so don't pour it down the drain.
- Timing matters—pasta and sauce need to meet while both are hot and the pasta is still wet enough to absorb everything.
03 -
- Keep your heat at medium or below—if the cream gets too hot too fast, it can break or separate, which is fixable but annoying.
- Fresh-cracked black pepper actually matters here because pre-ground loses its edge; take the 20 seconds to grind it yourself and taste the difference.