Looking for a quick and easy meal for busy nights? Look no further than our Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce! Made with a handful of ingredients, including our beloved Philadelphia Cream Cheese, this creamy pasta comes together in under 28 minutes. Whether enjoyed as a main dish or paired with your favorite grilled protein, this pasta is sure to become a household favorite!
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This Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce is remarkably simple AND inexpensive to prepare, yet it transforms your ordinary pasta dish into something extra delicious. The pasta is enveloped in cheesy sauce, infused with the aroma of garlic and herbs. So so good!
This pasta pairs well with just about any of your favorite grilled proteins or sandwiches, like these Panko Pork Chops or our amazing Turkey Burger Sliders. Much like our Lemon Garlic Pasta and our Creamy Vegetable Pasta, this cream cheese and pasta also makes a great side dish for potlucks or barbecues.
👍 Why We love this Dish
Simple and quick- Our Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce is an ideal option for busy weeknights, as it's quick and simple to make. Similar to all our recipes, this dish can be prepared in 28 minutes or less.
Minimal ingredients- Chances are you already have most of the necessary ingredients for this dish in your pantry or fridge. One of our very favorites is Philadelphia Cream Cheese!
Customizable- Add more spice, herbs or cheeses to our cream cheese pasta sauce based on your family's preferences. You can even add veggies and/or a protein to this dish.
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on ingredients (full list of ingredients available in recipe card):
Pasta- Gemelli is our top choice, since we love its twisty shape and crevices that hold in the pasta sauce with Philadelphia cream cheese and flavors!
Olive oil- Carapellli EVOO is our favorite!
Garlic- Chopped or minced
Chicken broth- We love Better than Bouillon!
Seasoning- Basil, pepper, onion powder and salt
Parmesan- We recommended using high-quality aged Parmesan cheese. Make sure to reserve a small amount to sprinkle on the top as a finishing touch!
Cream cheese- We love Philadelphia cream cheese sold as bricks. It helps if cream cheese is softened to room temperature and cut into smaller chunks before use.
Parsley- Ideally fresh, for garnish and an extra pop of color.
👨🏼🍳How to Make Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Step 1: Cook and drain pasta.
Step 2: Heat oil in a separate pan and sauté garlic.
Step 3: Add chicken broth and seasoning
Step 4: Add cheeses and parsley
Step 5: Add Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce and mix together
👧🏽 Kid Steps 👧🏽
- Taste! Ask kids to taste the noodles to check and see if they're done cooking.
- Measure and pour: With proper adult supervision, children can easily add all sauce the ingredients to the pan and give them a good stir.
- Mix! Let kids mix the pasta with the Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce! They can toss pasta using a large spoon or tongs!
✔️ Expert Tips & Tricks
- Salt the pasta water- this helps evenly season each noodle and ultimately enhances the flavor of the final dish.
- Avoid overcooking pasta by boiling it al dente, which will prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Make the Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce while noodles are cooking. That way the drained pasta will still be warm when it comes time to combine it with the cream cheese sauce.
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature and break into smaller chunks before adding it to the sauce for easier blending/melting.
- Use two large spoons or these handy tongs to toss the gemelli pasta with the sauce.
- This pasta dish is best eaten right away, since cream cheese sauces tend to not retain their original texture as they cool down.
🧂Variations
- Add spice- To enhance the flavor, you can sprinkle freshly ground pepper or a generous pinch of chili flakes
- Veggie mix-ins- Mix in freshly chopped spinach or kale for added nutrients.
- Grilled protein- For a protein-boost, consider serving pasta with grilled chicken, shrimp or even crispy bacon on top!
- Change the pasta- While we love gemelli pasta for its twisty shape, any short pasta with grooves will work, like rotini, penne, shells or bowties.
🍽️ What to Serve with this Dish
This pasta can compliment a ton of different dishes, including:
Salads- Any simple, refreshing salad like Watermelon Chicken Salad or our Panzanella Toscana Salad with chicken.
Sandwiches or wraps- Like these meaty Sloppy Joes and Philly Cheesesteaks. Or, if you're looking for a lighter option, our cream cheese pasta would pair nicely with our Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches or Tomato Mozzarella Paninis.
Grilled proteins- Chicken, pork, beef or fish! We love pairing this pasta with our Panko Pork Chops or our favorite Baked Cod recipe.
🧊 Storing and Reheating
Store: This Philadelphia cream cheese pasta is best served immediately but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing this pasta is not recommended.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove. Note: To prevent the cream cheese pasta sauce from having a sticky or clumpy texture, before reheating it add 1-2 Tablespoons of liquid: water, chicken broth or milk.
❓FAQ
Yes, simply cook your pasta, strain it, and set aside. Use the same pot you cooked your pasta in to prepare the sauce.
However, we like to use two pots/pans. This way you can save time by preparing the cheese sauce with Philadelphia cream cheese separately while the pasta cooks. And the pasta will still be quite warm when it comes time to combine it with the sauce.
We used three cloves of garlic in this recipe. If you or your children aren't fond of garlic, you can reduce the amount to one or two cloves. Or you can even just sprinkle a dash of garlic powder instead.
Yes, the cream cheese will melt as you make your pasta sauce with Philadelphia cream cheese on the stove. Gently stir the cheese sauce mixture over low heat, being careful not to let it boil, as this may cause it to curdle.
For quicker melting, we recommend that you soften cream cheese to room temperature before adding it the sauce. And either break up the cream cheese into smaller chunks before cooking or use a spatula to break it up in the pan.
👶 Tips for Picky Eaters
🍅 Allow kids to choose the type of pasta! Any short pasta with grooves will work, like rotini, penne, shells or bowties.
🍅 Tone down the spice. Reduce the amount of garlic or pepper, or add seasonings at the end to individual servings.
🍅 Kids choose a side. My children love Pepperidge Farm's frozen garlic bread. Alternatively, you could have your kids choose a fruit/veggie side they like, such as sliced cucumbers, baby tomatoes, celery sticks, carrot slices, grapes, or apples.
🧶 Make Colored Pasta!
So, what can the kids do while you cook? Set aside some dry pasta and your kids can have a blast with this pasta dying craft! Once their colorful pasta is dry, the kids can can get creative and make some vibrant artwork!
❤️ Do you love this recipe? Please leave us a🌟5-star rating🌟 in the recipe card or comment section below.
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🍝 Other Pasta Dishes to Try
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🥣 Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 medium-large pot
- 1 medium/large pan
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta gemelli is our favorite
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped or minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed and softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley or more
Instructions
- Heat water for pasta in large pot, and add 1 teaspoon of the salt to the water. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to its pot.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a pot. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until light brown and fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, basil, pepper, onion powder and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir.
- Add cream cheese and gently stir the cheese sauce mixture over low heat, until melted, being careful not to let it boil as this may cause it to curdle. Stir in parmesan and parsley until well blended.
- Pour cream cheese sauce over pasta and stir together. Serve topped with extra parsley as desired.
Notes
-
- Salt the pasta water- this helps evenly season each noodle and ultimately enhances the flavor of the final dish.
-
- Avoid overcooking pasta by boiling it al dente, which will prevent it from becoming mushy.
-
- Make the Philadelphia cream cheese pasta sauce while noodles are cooking. That way the drained pasta will still be warm when it comes time to combine it with the cream cheese sauce.
-
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature and break up into smaller chunks before adding it the sauce for easier blending/melting.
-
- Use two large spoons or these handy tongs to toss the gemelli pasta with the sauce.
-
- We encourage you to eat this dish right away, since cream cheese sauces tend to not retain their original texture as they cool down.
Nutrition
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. While we are not certified nutritionists, we work with a Wordpress-integrated nutrition API to calculate our recipes' ingredient values.
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