15+ Dreamy Creamy Pasta Recipes (2024)

ByKatia September 14, 2023November 7, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read mydisclosure policyfor more details.

Wondering what’s for dinner tonight? Here is a selection of crazy delicious creamy pasta recipes that are easy, economical, and ready in no time.

They’re pure comfort in a bowl, sure to become new family-favorite meals.

It’s hard to resist a bowl of cozy, intensely flavourful, luscious pasta. It’s so comforting, perfect to satisfy any carb craving, and definitely a huge crowd pleaser for the entire family.

In case you missed them, today I’ve rounded up all my creamy pasta recipes for you to fuel your weeks ahead.

They are all fuss-free recipes that you can whip up in less than 20 minutes using inexpensive staple ingredients. They are simply amazing for busy weeknights.

Simple yet indulgent pasta dishes that are filling and satisfying enough to please the whole family, kids and adults alike.

Scroll through to check out my popular cream cheese pasta, lemon ricotta pasta, tomato spinach pasta and more incredible recipes.

Grab your apron and pan, try them tonight, and see for yourself!

Enjoy. x

Creamy Pasta Recipes

Lemon ricotta pasta with spinach

Featuring creamy ricotta, garlic and bright lemon this ultra smooth no-cook pasta sauce is sure to blow your mind. It's so easy yet amazing, one of those pasta recipes that you'll be making again and again.

Creamy Penne Pasta Recipe

In this recipe the silky sauce is made with rich cream cheese, parmesan and infused with aromatic garlic and lemon flavor. Penne is the perfect pasta shape for clinging onto all that flavour.

Sun-dried tomato pasta

Another amazing pasta recipe that combines creamy ricotta with intensely-flavored sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. It’s very easy to whip up, ready in less than 15 minutes, and everyone will come back for second.

Pasta, creamy sauce, hints of nutmeg, and bright spinach, what could be a better combination? Just finish with grated parmesan cheese, black pepper… and DEVOUR!

One-pot Mac and Cheese

Rich and ultra creamy, this mac and cheese is super easy to whip up, you can cook everything in one pot, and dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

This 15-minute pesto pasta is one of our family staples. A stupidly simple pasta dish that is beautifully creamy, perfect for speedy meal and sure to leave everyone licking their plates clean!

Cream cheese pasta

This cozy cream cheese pasta recipe gets so many rave reviews, and for good reasons! It's the perfect last-minute meal that comes together in a snap and tastes AMAZING. Good things don’t get much easier than this!

Creamy Broccoli Pasta (1-Pot)

This one-pot pasta recipes is easy to whip up and super delicious: cook the pasta, add broccoli in the final 5 minutes of the cooking time, stir in the cheese mixture until everything looks coated, creamy, and yummy!

One-Pot Creamy Spaghetti

Dreming of a bowl full of creamy spaghetti? This easy one-pot reciope ready in less than 15 minutes is for you. Quick, easy, economical and only one pot to wash. What's not to love?

Pasta with artichokes

Turn canned artichoke hearts into a scrumptious creamy pasta that comes together quickly and tastes luxurious. This recipe is perfect fot a weeknight dinner but it's also elegant enough to wow your dinner guests.

Creamy Spinach Tomato Pasta

Here the silky tomato passata is combined with cream cheese, parmesan and spinach – everyone’s favorite veggie – to make a sensational meal for when you want comfort food ready in a snap.

Tomato Pasta Sauce with Cream cheese

If you look for a scrumptious bowl of pasta that can be on the table in record time, this recipe is for you. It's a simple tomato creamy sauce, very straightforward to make yet full of delicious flavor.

Mushroom Ricotta Pasta

For a speedy yet sensational meal, try this scrumptious pasta with savory mushrooms and tossed with fresh ricotta. It's absolutely delicious, filling and looks gorgeous, too.

Pasta with Zucchini

What about creamy pasta with zucchini for a last-minute dinner party to impress vegetarian friends. It's a great way to use zucchini when they're in season. It also packs one of your five-a-day into one delicious meal.

One-Pot Tomato basil Pasta with Ricotta

A quick and tasty one-pot pasta recipe that uses tomato sauce, ricotta and fresh basil. A delicious meal that goes from pot to plate in just 20 minutes, ideal for busy midweek nights.

Walnut sauce pasta

Whip up this amazing walnut sauce pasta in less than 20 minutes. It's simple to make, budget-friendly and so good.

Bucatini cacio e pepe

Learn how to make this classic Italian bucatini cacio e pepe! The recipe features only pasta, pecorino cheese, pepper and starchy water, but its flavor and beautiful mouth feeling are to die for.

If you loved these creamy pasta recipes…

If you are a pasta lover, I have more pasta recipes for you to try, terrific and affordable meals perfect for your weeknight dinners:

Meatless pasta recipes
Vegan pasta recipes
Italian pasta recipes
Quick pasta recipes
One-pot pastas

Lastly, I hope if you enjoy thesecreamy pasta recipes,and if you have any questions,let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you and get your feedback! x

Print Recipe

15+ Dreamy Creamy Pasta Recipes

Wondering what's for dinner tonight? Here is a selection of crazy deliciouscreamy pasta recipes like this simplecreamy pesto pasta sure to leave everyone licking their plates clean. And it's ready in 15 minutes.

Pesto recipe makes ½ cup enough for the pasta.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Creamy pesto pasta

Servings: 4

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

Pasta

8 oz (225 grams) Linguine or spaghetti(or your fav pasta shapes)

Homemade Basil Pesto (or ½ cup of store-bought)

1 ½ cup (40 grams) basil leaves
¼ cup (20 grams) grated parmesan
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (or ¼ cup cashews)*
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Cream Cheese pesto

½ cup (120 grams) pesto (homemade or store-bought)
½ cup (100 grams) soft cream cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) pasta water, plus more if needed

Instructions

Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta per packet instructions.
When the pasta is nearly done reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water (you need it for the sauce), andstop cooking and drainthe pasta.

Pesto

To save time, while the pasta is cooking, make the pesto: place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
With the motor running, slowly pour the oil in through the feeder tube. Blitz until smooth (or to desired consistency), adding a touch of extra oil or water if it helps to blitz.

Creamy pesto pasta sauce

Place cream cheese, pesto and ¼ cup of pasta cooking water in a large bowl (save the rest of the water in case you need it later). Stir until creamy and smooth.
Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl and toss everything together until well combined and the pasta well coated and creamy. Add an extra touch of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Serve immediately while it's still hot with extra grated parmesan cheese and a few toasted pine nuts on top if you wish. Enjoy!

Notes

Pine nuts: just preheat a small skillet over medium heat, add pine nuts and toast until light brown, it takes about 3 minutes. Immediately remove them from the skillet. Alternatively, you can use less expensive cashews intead (either toasted or untoasted).

Storage:you can store this creamy pesto pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up 2 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove adding a touch of water if needed.The color will eventually get dull, but the flavor will be still nice.

Nutrition facts:the nutrition values are for one serving and they are basedon an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice (extra parmesan cheese for serving is not included). Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition

Join my newsletter for free weekly recipes!

FAQs

How do you keep creamy pasta creamy? ›

Add more cream to keep the sauce from separating

Bring the sauce to room temperature first, then pour it into a pan and gradually raise the stove's temperature while adding cream bit by bit. The fat in the cream helps prevent the sauce from separating.

Read The Full Story ›

Which cream is best for pasta? ›

Cream - Lots of recipes use whipping or heavy cream but my preference is single or light cream. I find a creamy pasta sauce can get quite thick, especially once it's off the heat.

Discover More ›

What makes a sauce more creamy? ›

Cheese and dairy give sauces creaminess while butter and oil give them richness. You also don't need to use a lot — these are just for finishing and rounding out the flavors in a sauce. Whole Milk or Heavy Cream: Add a splash and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Tell Me More ›

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for creamy pasta? ›

Whole milk is an excellent substitute for heavy cream. It adds richness to your pasta sauce without the excess fat. Simply simmer your favourite pasta sauce with whole milk until it thickens to your desired consistency. The result is a velvety and indulgent sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta.

Read The Full Story ›

Is it better to make pasta with heavy cream or whipping cream? ›

You can easily make a sauce for pasta with heavy cream or whipping cream. Heavy cream will give you better results because it has a higher fat content, but whipping cream will be fine.

Discover More ›

What happens if you use milk instead of cream in pasta? ›

You can use milk instead of heavy cream, but you won't get quite the same flavor or consistency.

Get More Info ›

What can I use instead of heavy cream for creamy pasta? ›

The Best Heavy Cream Substitutes

Half-and-Half and Butter. A combination of half-and-half and butter makes the best all-around heavy cream substitute. ...
Milk and Butter. ...
Evaporated Milk. ...
Coconut Cream. ...
Cream Cheese. ...
Greek Yogurt and Milk. ...
Soy Milk and Olive Oil.

Mar 30, 2022

Read On ›

Why do Italians put sugar in spaghetti sauce? ›

Up until the early 1900s, the U.S. had a limited tomato supply, and it didn't stack up to Italian standards. It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home.

Why put Worcestershire sauce in spaghetti sauce? ›

Whether you can pronounce it or not, Worcestershire sauce is an easy, effective way to load up spaghetti sauce with umami flavor. It is salty, tangy, and has lots of potent vinegar, all of which cut through tomatoes to create a soothing, savory flavor.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the golden rule for pasta? ›

To be sure that your pasta is cooked correctly, it is enough to follow a few, simple rules. To begin with, you should keep in mind the right quantities. In Italy, the golden rule for cooking pasta is 1, 10, 100 or 1 liter of water, 10 grams of salt for every 100 grams of pasta.

Read On ›

What not to do when making pasta? ›

Cooking pasta: 5 mistakes

Toss the pasta when the water is cold. This is probably the most common and also the most serious mistake you can make in cooking pasta. ...
Using the wrong measure of salt. ...
Cooking pasta in a small pot. ...
Overcooking the pasta. ...
Drain the pasta too much.

Sep 14, 2023

Know More ›

What does more egg do to pasta? ›

The more egg white, the more pliable the dough; the more yolk, the richer the pasta will be. There are endless variations, but for a dough that works every time use: 1 whole egg plus 2 yolks for every 150g of flour.

How do you keep creamy pasta from drying out? ›

Adding a little milk (to the creamy pasta) or water before reheating cooked, wet pasta is a good idea because pasta will continue to absorb the moisture in the sauce and 'cook', leaving it dry and overcooked.

Read On ›

How do you make creamy pasta not dry? ›

If the pasta still looks (and tastes) too dry, keep adding the starchy water, a little bit at a time, until the sauce is silky and as creamy as you would like it to be. If the pasta water is well-seasoned, it'll enhance the sauce instead of diluting it.

Get More Info ›

Why does my pasta not stay creamy? ›

You don't properly cool the pasta.

"It's not wrong, and I have done it before in the past [but] to make a more creamy pasta dish after cooking the pasta, drain it, and cool it on a sheet tray," he advises.