Creamy White Sauce Pasta ~ Food Buddy

Here’s how to make a creamy white sauce pasta in just 15 minutes with simple pantry ingredients! This versatile cream sauce recipe uses 2% milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter spin. Add veggies, shrimp or chicken for a filling meal.

You never need to make box mac and cheese again: just make this creamy white sauce pasta! This is a staple recipe in my house. The basic cream sauce is luscious and full of flavor, and get this: it doesn’t even use heavy cream! All you need is a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand.

It takes just 10 minutes to whip up the sauce while you cook the pasta. Eat it straight up, as a pasta side dish, or add cooked veggies or protein to the sauce. It’s an easy dinner idea that’s made in minutes! Even just writing about it, I’m getting hungry.

Ingredient Breakdown

What you need for this white sauce pasta might already be on hand in your pantry and fridge. You’ll be amazed at the big flavor that comes from a few simple ingredients! It’s so much better than buying boxed mac and cheese!

The basic cream sauce uses 2% milk, not heavy cream, but it makes a super creamy sauce with the magic of a roux (more on that below). Here’s what you need:

Pasta: Any shape works! I love it with long noodles like bucatini or short like rigatoni
Butter: Salted butter adds depth; the salt enhances the overall flavor (use olive oil if you prefer)
Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential: I use a microplane to grate it in
Flour: All-purpose flour creates the roux that thickens the sauce (gluten-free also works, or use half the amount of cornstarch)
Milk: 2% milk gives you creaminess without the heaviness of cream
Parmesan: Fresh grated Parmesan melts smoothly and adds that salty, umami punch
Salt: Kosher salt for seasoning; you’ll adjust at the end

Pro Tips for Perfect White Sauce Pasta

Making a basic cream sauce is a technique that all home cooks should know. You’ll start by making a roux (pronounced “roo”), a combination of flour and butter cooked together that’s used to thicken sauces. Here are a few tips for this process:

Measure out all the ingredients first (mise en place). The cooking process goes quickly, so you don’t want to have to stop to measure an ingredient. Measuring everything out before you cook, called mise en place in French, is essential.
Sauté the garlic only 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook: it should turn golden and fragrant, but not brown.
Add the flour and whisk constantly. The flour can overcook in an instant, turning a brown color, so cook just until it’s golden.
Whisk in the milk gradually. Add just a little milk first and whisk it in. Continue adding gradually until the sauce is smooth, then cook about 5 minutes until thickened and add the Parmesan and salt.

Choosing Your Pasta Shape

You can use any pasta shape for this white sauce pasta, including short or long pasta. Here are my top choices:

Bucatini: I love using bucatini in this recipe: the way the sauce coats the hollow spaghetti-like noodles is super satisfying.
Spaghetti or fettucine: These long noodles also work well in a creamy sauce.
Rigatoni or penne: These are my favorite short noodles: their ridges and curves capture the creamy sauce perfectly.
Cavatappi: Cavatappi is a fun corkscrew shape that works well here.
Tortellini: This sauce would be great for tortellini or tortelloni (throw in a little spinach, too: yum!).
Gnocchi: If you’re a gnocchi fan (which I am!), this white sauce works well too.

Additions To Your White Sauce Pasta

Here’s the fun part: you can make this white sauce pasta your own! Since it’s just carbs and dairy, you may to want to add some colorful veggies or more protein. Here are some ideas for add-ins:

Tomatoes: Add sliced cherry tomatoes or chopped ripe tomatoes.
Zucchini: Thinly slice it and add it raw, or use a half batch of this sauteed zucchini.
Mushrooms: Add herby sauteed mushrooms.
Spinach or kale: Wilt it down in a pan for a few minutes, then stir it into the pasta. Or, place the leaves in a colander and drain the pasta water on top of it: it cooks instantly!
Broccoli: Make sauteed broccoli or pan fried broccoli.
Bell peppers: Make sauteed peppers and throw them in.
Herbs: Add chopped fresh herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, or dill.
Shrimp or chicken: Add sauteed shrimp or chopped pan seared chicken breast for a flavorful main dish. You could also add air fryer chicken or air fryer tofu.

More sauce variations? Try this white wine sauce, made with white wine and cream! Or go vegan with vegan alfredo sauce.

Side Dishes To Pair

Want to add nutrients to this white sauce pasta in a side dish? Here are a few quick side dishes to add:

White beans: I love adding plant-based protein with these 5-minute cannellini beans or white beans.
Sauteed veggies: These quick and simple veggies make a great pairing, like sauteed broccoli, sauteed carrots, peas with lemon, sauteed green beans or steamed green beans.
Leafy greens: Another natural pairing is leafy greens like sauteed kale, sauteed spinach, or sauteed rainbow chard.
Salad: A fresh salad goes well, like my arugula salad, chopped salad, kale salad, or cabbage salad.

Storage and Reheating

This white sauce pasta is best served immediately, but leftovers last up to 3 days in the fridge. The sauce will become very thick as it cools. I don’t recommend freezing this pasta.

To reheat, add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce and warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. You could also microwave leftovers for a few seconds at at time, adding liquid if necessary.

Dietary Notes

This white sauce pasta recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, go to Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo.