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Creamy Garlic Alfredo
Creamy Garlic Alfredo is just as easy as it is creamy! This delicious alfredo can be made in 20 minutes or less, so it's the perfect weeknight dinner when you need something fast but oh so good!
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Creamy Garlic Alfredo Pasta is just as easy as it is creamy! This delicious alfredo can be made in 20 minutes or less, so it's the perfect weeknight dinner when you need something fast but oh so good!
The garlic alfredo sauce for this pasta dish is remarkably quick to whip up. Cream cheese, butter, and heavy whipping cream make an indulgent, creamy sauce. Chicken broth adds depth and flavor, though consider substituting dry white wine to turn this white sauce into a white wine sauce.
This easy white sauce pasta is fantastic on its own, but you can add some protein give it even more flavor! Grilled chicken and alfredo make a wonderful pair! You can even add prawns, scallops, or shrimp to make a delicious seafood alfredo. Mushrooms would be a great addition for a vegetarian dish, so try adding some portabella, cremini, or champignon in the sauce.
Creamy Garlic Alfredo Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Cream cheese
- Garlic powder
- Minced garlic
- Dried parsley flakes
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Flour
- Heavy whipping cream
- Water
- Chicken bouillon cube
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Penne pasta
Choose any pasta you prefer to showcase this easy garlic cream sauce! Consider thinking about what types of pasta pair best with the different types of meat you can add in. For example, fettuccine would carry chicken well while more delicate angel hair pasta would complement scallops.
Towards the end of cooking, add lemon zest or thinly sliced lemon rind to brighten and lift the dish. Tomato slices added in the final few minutes would also add a lightness to the meal. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Alfredo
FIRST STEP: Cook penne pasta in a large pot per package directions, making sure to add ½ tsp salt to the water. (Cook time is about 14 minutes.) Once done, drain pasta and put it back in the large pot.
SECOND STEP: In a small bowl add 1 cup of water. Drop in the bouillon cube. Put in the microwave for 2 minutes on high heat. Be careful, the edges of the bowl will be hot. Set aside.
THIRD STEP: In a large saucepan, melt the stick of butter over low medium-low heat. Once butter is melted add chunks of cream cheese, garlic powder, dried parsley flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Whisk together. Mixture will be clumpy and very buttery.
FOURTH STEP: Add chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. Whisk together and turn heat to medium, to a low boil. Sauce will still be somewhat lumpy at this point. Don’t worry, it will smooth out once it is done cooking.
FIFTH STEP: In a small bowl, add 5 tablespoons of sauce and 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix well with a spoon. Add flour sauce mixture and whisk well.
SIXTH STEP: Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, continue to whisk frequently while simmering.
SEVENTH STEP: Once the sauce is done pour over noodles, stir well, and serve.
Cooking Tips
Toss the pasta in a little olive oil to prevent clumping.
Add cooked veggies, like a handful of peas or chopped broccoli.
It’s not recommended to substitute the cream for any lower-fat alternatives; the texture would simply not be the same.
Storing this Recipe
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Creamy Garlic Alfredo
Creamy Garlic Alfredo is just as easy as it is creamy! This delicious alfredo can be made in 20 minutes or less, so it's the perfect weeknight dinner when you need something fast but oh so good!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 4 oz salted butter
- 1 block of cream cheese softened and cut into chunks
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 heaping tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup water
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 16 oz penne pasta 1 box
- ½ tsp salt for pasta
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta in a large pot per package directions, making sure to add ½ tsp salt to the water (cook time is about 14 minutes). Once done, drain pasta and put back in the large pot.
- In a small bowl add 1 cup of water. Drop in the bouillon cube. Put in the microwave for 2 minutes on high heat. Be careful, the edges of the bowl will be hot. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt stick of butter over low medium-low heat. Once butter is melted add chunks of cream cheese, minced garlic, garlic powder, dried parsley flakes, italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Whisk together.
- Add chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. Whisk together and turn heat to medium, to a low boil.
- In a small bowl, add 5 tablespoons of sauce and 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix well with a spoon. Add flour sauce mixture and whisk well.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, continue to whisk frequently while simmering.
- Once the sauce is done pour over noodles, stir well, and serve.
Notes
Sauce will be lumpy while cooking, but will smooth out towards the end!
Nutrition
Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1073mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1394IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 402mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Helen Malusay says
Glad to know this recipe. So yummy