Pasta recipes like this one are always a go to of mine. Easy, no fuss, and made with simple ingredients that come together in no time. This dreamy and creamy one pot garlic parmesan pasta is made with just one pot and ready to serve in just 30 minutes. No need to clean a bunch of dishes with this one, which makes dinnertime even more desirable.
Using just one pot makes life so much easier like my creamy spinach pasta. This one pot garlic parmesan version is perfect for any season, any time of day, and day of the week, especially when it's a one pot dinner.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this pasta recipe
- What are the ingredients for this recipe?
- How do I make this recipe?
- Pasta Swaps and Substitutions
- Tips for perfecting one pot pasta recipes
- How do I vary this recipe?
- How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze it?
- Ways to pair this recipe
- PRO TIP:
- Hungry for More?
- One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Why you'll love this pasta recipe
- It's a super simple, fool proof recipe that can be prepped ahead of time as a meal prep for dinner or for lunch.
- It's done in just 30 minutes so there's no waiting for the water to boil and then making an entire sauce to go with the pasta.
- This is kid friendly and made with wholesome, simple ingredients.
What are the ingredients for this recipe?
- Pasta - short pasta like mezzi rigatoni, penne, or even rotini works great for this dish.
- Garlic - minced garlic sautéed in butter, truly nothing better.
- Butter - the butter is used for sautéing the garlic before we cook the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese - this will act as the parmesan in the sauce itself, and also as an additional garnish.
- Whole milk or half and half - part of the liquid mixture we use to cook the pasta in the pot.
- Chicken Stock - helps give the sauce flavor and with thickening the sauce itself. This is also used to cook the pasta.
- Salt and Pepper - a few fresh cracks of each balance out the creaminess and fat of the parmesan sauce.
- Basil - the best kind of garnish!
See the recipe card below for specifics and ingredient quantities.
How do I make this recipe?
Step 1: Minced four garlic cloves.
Step 2: In a large pot, melt the butter and add the garlic, sauté until fragrant.
Step 3: Pour in the chicken stock, heavy cream and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Add in the pasta, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minutes or until al dente.
Step 5: Add in the parmesan and stir to combine. The sauce should begin to get thick and coat the pasta evenly.
Step 6: Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and salt. Serve as desired with a garnish of extra parmesan and fresh basil.
HINT: Wait until there is a very little amount of liquid in the pot once the pasta cooks to add the parmesan. We are looking for a thicker sauce rather than keeping it thin.
Pasta Swaps and Substitutions
- Pasta - instead of using durum or regular flour penne, you can easily use gluten free penne.
- Cheese - swap the regular parmesan for dairy-free.
- Milk - feel free to use almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk for this dish.
- Stock - want to keep it vegetarian? Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Tips for perfecting one pot pasta recipes
There's a few simple tricks to remember when making one pot pasta recipes, so here are my top tips to remember:
- Use enough liquid to cook the pasta, but not too much that the pasta gets al dente. Thick three cups total, one of which is the cream such as milk or half and half. The other two cups for water or for stock.
- Using stock when cooking pasta gives the pasta a richer, heartier flavor, and also adds in more protein.
- Season the liquid with salt while it cooks. This is similar to adding salt to boiling water. You want to season the pasta as it cooks!
- I find covering the pasta halfway and stirring occasionally aids in the cooking process.
How do I vary this recipe?
One of the benefits of making a pasta recipe is that there are a bunch of ways to vary how you serve and make this dish. Here's a few ideas:
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the pasta as you mix in the ricotta and marinara.
- Veggies - add some spinach, broccoli, or peas if you want to make this a veggie-friendly recipe.
- Meat - you can add in some ground beef or ground turkey to this dish for some added protein.
How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze it?
To Store: Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Place the pasta dish wrapped in plastic wrap directly in the frezer for up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
To Reheat: You can obviously use the microwave if you're warming a smaller bowl of leftovers, but if you have an entire pot of it, you can ¼ cup stock and bring to a low flame. Cook and stir frequently to make sure all the pasta warms evenly.
Ways to pair this recipe
Pair this delicious garlic parmesan pasta with a variety of different recipes:
PRO TIP:
Don't forget to season the sauce with salt and pepper as you stir! This gives the recipe balance.
Hungry for More?
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 strainer
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pkg short pasta
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup whole milk or half and half
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Minced four garlic cloves.
- In a large pot, melt the butter and add the garlic, sauté until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken stock, heavy cream and bring to a boil.
- Add in the pasta, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minutes or until al dente.
- Add in the parmesan and stir to combine. The sauce should begin to get thick and coat the pasta evenly.
- Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and salt. Serve as desired with a garnish of extra parmesan and fresh basil.
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