This white pasta sauce is the only creamy base recipe you’ll ever need. It comes together in less than 15 minutes with butter, garlic, cream, and Parmesan for the silkiest, dreamiest sauce that coats pasta perfectly. Keep it plain for a quick comforting dinner, or use it as the base for countless creamy variations, from chicken and mushroom to shrimp or bacon. Once you’ve mastered this white sauce for pasta, the options are endless.
If you’ve made any of my creamy pasta sauces before, you’ll recognize this sauce instantly. It’s the exact white pasta sauce base I use for so many of the most popular recipes on my site. My Creamy Chicken Pasta and Creamy Sausage Pasta are two of the most made dishes on The Burnt Butter Table, and they both start from this same garlic, cream, Parmesan base. It’s rich but balanced, silky without being heavy, and has that restaurant quality taste every time.
What I love most about this white sauce pasta is how versatile it is. You can keep it plain for the quickest weeknight pasta, or turn it into something new just by adding chicken, bacon, mushrooms, shrimp, or whatever you have in the fridge. Once you have made this pasta sauce a couple of times, you can easily build countless variations.
Some other recipes that use this as a base to try:
Main ingredients
Butter - You could substitute for olive oil.
Garlic - Fresh cloves are best here as jarred garlic has a really over powering flavor. Dice or mince them really finely.
Cream - Use a heavy or whipping cream as you can control the texture with some pasta water. A light or single cream works too as you can simmer it a touch longer.
Parmesan cheese - A good quality cheese will make a difference to the flavor but in truth, anything will taste good. It needs to be really finely grated with a microplane or the star side of a box grater.
Salt and pepper - I love black pepper and think this sauce really needs it. Add salt to taste as it will depend on your cheese and how well you have salted your pasta water.
White sauce pasta add-ins
This white pasta sauce is designed to be a blank canvas, so you can turn it into almost any creamy pasta you like. Add cooked chicken, crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, or shrimp to make it a full meal, or stir through simple vegetables like spinach, peas, or roasted broccoli. Make sure you check out my creamy pasta sauce collection for all the inspiration you'll ever need.
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How to make a white sauce for pasta
The full ingredient list and more detailed method is in the recipe card below.
ONE: In a large skillet fry the garlic in butter over a medium heat.
TWO: Add the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer.
THREE: Add the Parmesan cheese in 2 - 3 separate lots, letting it melt in between each addition.
FOUR: Add ¼ cup of pasta water and the black pepper and mix in.
FIVE: Add the cooked pasta in and toss well. Add the lemon juice in if using. Let it gently bubble away for 1 - 2 minutes to thicken.
SIX: Serve with extra Parmesan and black pepper on the top.
Expert tips
- Prep everything first. This sauce comes together so fast so have your garlic minced, Parmesan grated and cream measured before starting.
- Weigh your pasta portions. Because this white sauce has no add-ins, I’ve slightly increased the pasta amount to 220 grams dried for two people (instead of my usual 200 grams). It gives you the perfect balance of pasta to sauce.
- Use a large fry pan or skillet that will fit all the pasta in at the end.
- Keep the heat gentle. Cream sauces should simmer softly, never boil. This keeps the white sauce silky and prevents it from splitting.
- Always reserve some pasta water before draining. When mixed into the creamy sauce it helps it cling to the pasta. It's also handy to loosen if the sauce gets too thick.
Recipe FAQs
Similar idea but a true Alfredo sauce has no cream or garlic. It is just butter and Parmesan cheese.
In the U.S. a heavy or whipping cream is most popular. I tested this with a double cream but a single or light cream works too. You can simmer it for longer to thicken it up.
For proteins you want to cook them first then add them back in to warm through at the end. My Creamy Chicken Pasta and Creamy Shrimp Pasta are good examples. For vegetables use my Creamy Bacon Pasta as a guide as the vegetables are cooked first then the sauce is made around them.
It’s best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen.
Some other recipes to try
Now you have mastered this perfect creamy white pasta sauce you can use it as the base for so many recipes. Here are a few suggestions.
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Recipe
White Pasta Sauce (Creamy Garlic Parmesan)
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Ingredients
- 220 grams dried pasta (½ pound)
- 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic very finely diced/minced
- ¾ cup cream
- 50 grams Parmesan very finely grated with a microplane or star side of a box grater
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional, see notes
Instructions
- Boil your pasta in well salted boiling water, I undercook dried pasta by a minute so it can bubble away in the sauce at the end and not overcook. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large fry pan, heat the butter over a medium heat and gently fry the garlic for a minute, it shouldn't brown at all.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer (lower the heat if you need, it should never be boiling).
- Add the grated parmesan in 2 or 3 separate lots, mixing and letting it melt in between each addition.
- Add the pepper and ¼ cup of pasta water, mix well and let it very gently simmer for 1 - 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta in, toss well and again, let it gently bubble away for a minute or two. Check for seasoning and add a big pinch of salt if it needs.
- Add the lemon juice if using and mix in well. I highly recommend this as it really helps to cut through the richness of the sauce. You could start with ½ tablespoon if unsure.
- Serve with some extra parmesan and black pepper on top.
Sarah says
This is like the dream 10 minute dinner!