How To Make White Sauce Pasta
We start with making the classic white sauce with butter, flour and milk. The important thing here is to use a whisk when you add in the milk and whisk continuously until all the flour and milk is mixed well together.
I high recommend using a whisk else you might get lumps in your sauce and thats no fun!
Once you have made the base, you add in the seasonings and cheese and then toss in the veggies and you are done.
I like sauteing my veggies before adding them to the sauce. I only slightly cook them in some butter, this way they remain crunchy and retain their color and crunch when added to the sauce.
The prep work for this pasta takes a bit of time since theres some chopping involved but once you have got everything chopped and ready to go, it comes together pretty quickly.
To make this pasta less creamy: use milk only and skip the cheese!
If you want a more saucy pasta: reduce the quantity of pasta to 100 grams .
Cold Milk Vs Warm Milk
Expert chefs always suggest using cold milk as hot milk can end up with lumps of roux in the white sauce. With cold milk you get enough time to incorporate the roux into the milk before it begins to simmer. So no lumps.
However cold milk can end up with instant splatters when added to the very hot roux. So bring down the temperature of the roux slightly before adding cold milk or warm up the milk slightly before stirring it to the hot roux.
There is no one way to make perfect smooth white sauce. In this recipe, it is warm roux + warm milk = no lumps. So if you 2x or 3x this recipe, do follow this as it makes a lot of difference when made in larger quantities.
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Add Ins For This Creamy Pasta Dish
Easy pasta recipes such as this are the perfect blank canvas for the home cook. Here are some seasonings and ingredients you might try:
- Vegetables Broccoli, peas, and asparagus would each pair well and add a serving of vegetables.
- Shrimp Is chicken too often your dinner time star? Swap for shrimp for a seafood flair.
- Nutmeg Traditional bechamel sauce includes some fresh grated nutmeg. Why not give it a try?
- Red Pepper Flakes Sometimes you just need a bit of a kick. Add some red chili flakes or cayenne pepper as youre whipping up the cheesy sauce.
- Fresh Spinach This adds a nice crunch to the dish.
- White Wine When the sauce is boiling, add some wine for a change of flavor.
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How To Make Ravioli Sauce
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Refrigerated pasta doesn’t take too long to cook, so don’t boil it too early. Meanwhile, in a skillet make a quick roux with the butter and flour. Add in the garlic, followed by the wine. Let it bubble until reduced.
Whisk in the heavy cream until the flour is dissolved. Stir in the Italian seasoning, and cook it until it thickens up. Add the parmesan cheese, stir until combined, and remove the skillet from the heat.
Sprinkle in the chopped parsley, and season generously with salt & pepper. Add in the drained cooked ravioli, toss with the sauce, and enjoy!
Basic White Cream Sauce
3-ingredient Basic White Cream Sauce is ready in 8-minutes! No more sauce paranoia!
This Basic White Cream Sauce is one of the five classic French “Mother Sauces”, and is the base for many other cream based sauces and gravies.
Once you master this easy white cream sauce, the sauce world is your oyster!
Here, you’ll learn exactly how to make a smooth, flavorful Bechamel that you’ll be proud of everytime!
This cream sauce base is perfect for thickening soups and casseroles and the introduction to many cream-based sauces. The simplicity of it is what makes it ideal for many recipes.
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Ingredients For White Sauce Pasta
- Penne Pasta This is just what we happened to have. You can use any type you like such as linguine, elbow, angel hair pasta and more.
- Butter Real butter is best and not margarine.
- Flour You will need to use all purpose flour.
- Minced Garlic You can also use garlic powder. Dont overcook the garlic as you do not want it to brown.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese You can use fresh or canned Parmesan.
- Salt and pepper
Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta
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This Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta is luxuriously creamy, elegant, and easy to make! Two types of linguini pasta are tossed with a gorgeous medley of seafood in a heavenly white wine cream sauce! Perfect for date nights, entertaining, or treating yourself on a weeknight in!
And friends, here we are today at a crossroads. Our little Noodles & Pasta mini-series is culminating, and its time for the final recipe. So obviously, I saved the best for last!
Please meet my latest obsession, which I SERIOUSLY have not been able to stop making, eating, and singing the praises of this past month Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta!
You see, there are things in life that make me happy. Like seeing my family , going to the movies with my sister, and chilling out over a pint with a long-time-no-see friend. But then there are things in life that make me extremely happy, lively, and possibly even hyper? Like this Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta.
Its luxuriously creamy, rich, super tasty, and elegant. And its very much like something you would order at a fancy Italian restaurant. However, contrary to what you might think, its actually incredibly easy to make on any given weeknight.
It shines like a diamond, and it makes my heart do a fluttery dance with its buttery creamy goodness. Friends, this is the cream sauce pasta of dreams, and I want to make ALL your creamy seafood pasta dreams come true with it!
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What Goes Into This White Wine Cream Sauce For Pasta
Olive oil – Use the a quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour.
Butter – A knob of butter melted in olive oil sets up a creamy base for the white wine pasta sauce. Use vegan butter to make this wine pasta vegan.
Garlic – Freshly chopped or minced garlic pairs perfectly with the flavour of wine. Don’t substitute it with garlic powder because it just won’t be the same. Feel free to adjust the quantity to your liking.
Red chilli flakes – Only add red chilli flakes if you want your pasta to have a bit of a kick.
White wine – The star of the recipe! Even though it looks like a lot of wine to add to a pasta sauce, you won’t feel the alcohol and you’ll certainly not get drunk from it. The alcohol evaporates as it cooks, leaving behind an amazing flavour.
Any crisp dry white wine would work here – I typically go for a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Avoid any sweet wine just pick something that you’d enjoy drinking with a pasta dish.
Lemon juice – This is optional, but I love how it enhances the flavour of the sauce. For even more brightness, add some lemon zest, too.
Parmesan – Use a vegetarian or vegan hard cheese alternative if you want. Freshly grated hard cheese is always best in sauces like this.
Fresh parsley You can substitute this with fresh basil or use a mix of fresh herbs.
How To Make Garlic Cream Sauce
- Step 1: Make the roux In a large non-stick skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute or until lightly golden.
- Step 2: Add half and half Gradually whisk in the half and half. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Step 3: Stir in Parmesan Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley. The cheese should immediately melt into the sauce. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
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Make White Sauce Pasta
7. Use a steel pan for making the sauce. Add 2 tablespoons butter.
8. As soon as the butter melts, add 1 teaspoon grated garlic and fry for 30 to 40 seconds. Then immediately add 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour.
9. Turn down the heat to low to medium. Saute well until the flour loses the raw smell, for about a minute. Make sure the color of the flour does not change. This step is very important. Since this is a small quantity, the roux can become dry and clumpy. Its just fine.
10. Lower the flame completely and slowly pour ¼ cup milk .
11. Begin to incorporate the roux into the milk using a whisk or a spatula.
12. Dissolve the flour completely to a creamy sauce. Ensure the flame is low at this stage.
13. Once you see a smooth sauce, free of lumps, pour the rest of the milk in 2 batches and stir. Simmer until the white sauce thickens. Keep stirring & scrape the sides for a uniform sauce.
14. To check if the white sauce is done perfectly, dip a spoon or a spatula into the sauce. It must coat the back of the spoon well as seen in the picture below. Alternately You can draw a line with your finger on the back of the spoon, you should see it clean with a space. This means it is thick enough.
15. Add 2 to 3 tbsps cheese , pepper and oregano. You can also add a pinch of ground nutmeg if you want. I used cream cheese here. You can use parmesan or cheddar.
17. Add vegetables and cooked pasta to the white sauce. Mix everything together.
More Pasta recipesRed sauce pasta
Tips For Perfect Pasta Sauce
- The key to a great sauce is making it super smooth! Make a thicker cheesy pasta sauce by stirring in heavy cream or sour cream, or make it thinner by stirring in some milk. Avoid using water as it will dilute the flavor.
- To speed up the cooking process and get a smooth sauce faster, set the cream cheese out about 30 minutes before using it.
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Variations Of This Recipe
- Dairy to be a classic alfredo, it needs heavy cream, however, if youre looking to cut calories, you can try this recipe with half and half, whole milk, evaporated milk, or a mixture of dairy and chicken broth. However, I havent tested those options, so I cant guarantee the results.
- Pasta if you choose to serve this sauce with pasta, I recommend the classic fettuccine, however it can be served with any shape of pasta you like.
- Other seasonings I kept it simple and only used black pepper, but if youd like to add 1/2 tsp of dried Italian seasoning and/or 1/4 tsp dried basil as well.
- Cheese this recipe uses Parmesan cheese, but if youd like to switch up the flavors a bit, try replacing some of the Parmesan with Romano or Asiago cheeses.
Your Family Will Enjoy Homemade White Pasta Sauce
Pasta is such a comfort food dish and one we all enjoy. I love that I can make this easily but it turns out better than a restaurant.
Not only am I saving money but our family is getting to enjoy really great food. This pasta dish comes together in less than 20 minutes making it perfect for school nights.
I guarantee that you cant get takeout and back home in that amount of time. Plus, we think it tastes much better.
Give it a try and let us know how it turned out for you. Once we made it, it quickly became a family favorite.
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How To Make White Sauce:
One of the main reasons we love this dish is because its simple and quick! You can make it start to finish in about 20 minutes. Thats my kind of dinner recipe! Just follow these easy steps to make this creamy pasta sauce which can be added to any pasta.
Cook Pasta. Begin by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions .
Make Sauce. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add flour and cook for an addition minute, stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce boils and thickens. Add parsley and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese has melted.
Combine. Mix in pasta and serve immediately.
Tip: If you want your pasta to be extra cheesy, add 1/2-1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese .
Change it up
Protein. There are so many things you can add to spruce up this delicious dish. Try adding meats such as grilled chicken, diced ham or shrimp.
Produce. You can also add produce such as halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
Spice. To add a little heat, sprinkle on some red chili flakes.
What Is Pasta Cream Sauce
Pasta cream sauce could be known under many names. Alfredo sauce, parmesan sauce, etc. Those names however, are not something that Italians actually use.
There are many stories on the internet linking an Alfredo sauce recipe to a restaurant in Rome but I am not sure how much of it is true and what is fiction. From what I can gather the famous Alfredo sauce is an American invention and as it is the case with most American recipes it has many unnecessary ingredients.
Garlic, chicken stock, flour, milk. None of them are really needed to make a full flavour cream sauce for any types of pasta.
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How To Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce
This is just an overview the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 3-Ingredients – 8-minutes
- This quick 8-minute white sauce recipe will be your “go-to” recipe for a million other sauces
- Base for many other sauces: Mornay sauce , creamy herb sauces, Alfredo, and more!
- Makes a great cream sauce for vegetables
- A great substitute for canned condensed soups! Just add chicken bouillon!
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Creamy White Sauce Chicken Pasta
This creamy and flavorful white sauce chicken pasta is a family favorite that can be on the table in minutes. Another bonus is that it uses basic kitchen ingredients every from scratch cook has!
When it comes to quick meals that are easy on the budget, pasta is at the top of my list.
This recipe uses staple ingredients and offers a creamy pasta sauce that coats the penne pasta in a tasty way.
Whether you have chicken, or not, it tastes great by itself. The chicken is simply an added bonus.
If you have a pasta loving family, be sure to check out my spaghetti meat sauce that feeds an entire family and can be made ahead and enjoyed later.
Maybe macaroni and cheese is more your style. This smoked mac-and-cheese is full of flavor and has an added crunch on top that makes it the perfect side dish to our smoked chicken thighs.
Lets start with the pasta.
Pasta Shapes That Work Well
You can use any sort of pasta shape for this white sauce pasta! But we have a few recommendations for what we like best. Here are our top choices for pasta:
- Bucatini: Instead of spaghetti or fettucini, our favorite long noodles are bucatini. Theyre like spaghetti noodles that are hollow. They have much more texture than spaghetti and are more fun to eat!
- Rigatoni: For a short noodle, we love the texture and look of rigatoni. Penne is another natural option.
- Cavatappi: Cavatappi is a fun corkscrew shape thats great with white sauce!
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How To Make Creamy Chicken Pasta
