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A bowl of 20-minute creamy pasta dinner, ready to eat.

20-Minute Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta

This creamy garlic parmesan pasta is a quick and easy weeknight meal that comes together in just 20 minutes. Short pasta is coated in a rich, velvety sauce made with garlic, broth, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, farfalle, or rotini)
Sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
  2. Reserve about ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
Make the Sauce
  1. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).
  2. Pour in broth and simmer gently, scraping bits from the pan, then reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream to warm through for 1-2 minutes without boiling.
Combine and Serve
  1. Drain pasta and add directly to the skillet with the cream sauce, then stir in Parmesan cheese and toss to coat.
  2. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley if using, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

Notes

For extra flavor, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic. This recipe is easily scalable; just adjust ingredient quantities proportionally.