Cream cheese pasta sauce tastes like a classic, rich, and creamy white sauce but is effortless to make!
Whisks down, this is the easiest pasta sauce recipe ever! This easy sauce is made super easy with cream cheese, garlic, broth and seasonings with lots of melty parmesan cheese! And it’s just the right sauce for any shape of pasta!
Easy Cheesy Pasta Sauce
- Make this velvety cheesy pasta sauce without flour or white wine—or any complicated steps!
- It’s ready to serve in just 20 minutes!
- A definite go-to sauce for any kind of pasta, but also a light sauce for proteins like chicken, pork, salmon, shrimp, or crab.
- Serve this multi-purpose cheesy pasta sauce as a dip for veggies, crackers, or breadsticks!
- Serving over pasta? Check out this guide on how to get perfect pasta every time!
What’s in Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce?
CREAM CHEESE Everyone will want to know the secret to this restaurant-level sauce that uses Philadelphia cream cheese in that iconic blue and grey box!
FLAVORS Some seasonings like basil and onion powder, a little garlic, and parmesan cheese give this sauce its light consistency and mild but savory flavor.
CHICKEN BROTH Feel free to use a carton or make Instant Pot Chicken Broth for use in so many recipes. Homemade chicken brother can be frozen in ice cubes to be defrosted as needed.
VARIATIONS Amp up the add-ins by mixing in sauteed sliced mushrooms, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach or kale, spring peas, or sliced brussels sprouts!
How to Make Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
It doesn’t get any easier than this:
- Cook pasta as directed.
- Sauté garlic & seasonings (per recipe below), then stir in everything but parmesan cheese.
- Remove from heat & stir in cheese.
Tips for Perfect Pasta Sauce
- The key to a great sauce is making it super smooth! Make a thicker cheesy pasta sauce by stirring in heavy cream or sour cream, or make it thinner by stirring in some milk. Avoid using water as it will dilute the flavor.
- To speed up the cooking process and get a smooth sauce faster, set the cream cheese out about 30 minutes before using it.
How to Store
Keep leftover cream cheese pasta sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Freeze portions in zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside for up to 4 weeks. To add a creamy, cheesy flavor to mashed potatoes or soups, freeze cream cheese sauce in ice cube trays and pop one or two as needed!
Our Fave Flavorful Sauces
- Instant Pot Pasta Sauce – so rich and meaty
- Garlic Cream Sauce – perfect over pasta
- Ground Turkey Pasta Sauce – super easy to make
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce – ready in 20 minutes
- Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce – use fresh or canned tomatoes
Did your family love this Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce? Leave us a comment and a rating below!
Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- ⅔ cup chicken broth or as needed
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooked pasta for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is boiling, cook garlic in butter in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add dried basil and onion powder. Whisk in cream cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add chicken broth a little bit at a time and simmer 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve over pasta.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pasta, Sauce
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Wow! I was not expecting so much flavor in such a simple recipe. THANK YOU very much for sharing it :)
can you bake this like mac and cheese sauce? Thank you sounds amazing!
This could be baked if you’d like. If baking with pasta, I would suggest adding extra broth so it doesn’t dry out since the pasta will absorb some of the sauce. Let us know how it goes!
Hi ♀️,
I’m in the UK, I’ve never known cream cheese that can be cubed, could you give me an example please.
Thanks.
Joanne
Cream cheese is sold in an 8oz block like this in grocery stores in Canada and the US.
Hi there I added some smoked paprika on top and some lemon to make it pop! Tasted amazing!
That sounds delicious, Sherry!
This recipe is fantastic, it is simple to make and cooks quickly. My children are picky eaters and love it. Thank you
So happy they enjoyed it! Thank you for trying our recipe.
We used this as pizza sauce and it was spectacular. Thank you for the recipe!!
That sounds delicious, Sarah!
Do you use freshly grated parmesan or the powder in the green can? I never know which to use when it is called for in a recipe.The poster never specifies, which is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Hi Nini, this recipe uses Parmesan from the can. Sorry for the confusion!
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I cooked it for a quick pasta that my daughter wanted for days and she loves it! It is simple and delicious.
Strongly recommended!
So glad she loved it!
Can I use chicken stock instead of broth
Absolutely!
Awesome!! I already had dinner planned which was ribs with pasta and a salad. I used the cream cheese recipe for the noodles and was so pleased with the taste. The left over sauce is going on the veggies tonight. I’m sure you can’t go wrong with this one.
If you haven’t tried it – do.
I had everything already in my fridge / pantry that the recipie called for. I did add a little flour to thicken the sauce and made sure it simmered to cook the flour. I made an amazing meal in minutes!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Latrice!
Can you add lemon do you think?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Mindy, but I think lemon would be a delicious addition! If you try it, I would love to hear how it turns out!
I use more broth and butter than required because if not it is very very thick and not Alfredo like. Only about 1/3 to 2/3 cup more broth. I love this recipe. Homemade stock is great in this. I used crushed garlic and sauté that in the butter until it changes color, but don’t let it get dark. I also substituted Romano cheese for Parmesan and couldn’t tell the difference.
Certainly quick, easy and very tasty. I added shrimp to the butter and seasonings before adding the cream cheese.
Hey Easy to Follow recipe, plus delicious. My husband and I are Seniors, and I’ve been the main cook for 56 years, we now share duties (I drop things in wrong places). He cooked this himself served it over Fettuccini noodles, topped it with shrimp, chopped parsley, and grated Romano cheese, and served me! Wow.
Oh yum, Marie! That sounds delicious!
Yes, that does sound delicious Marie!!! Thank you for sharing!!
This was really good! I wanted to serve it with chicken, yet keep it quick & easy. I ended up making a basic broiled chicken breast. I sliced the chicken breast and placed it on top of the pasta dish. The combination turned out great!!!
Is this cream sauce suitable for 1pound of pasta, as it is not noted anywhere, except to say pasta
Hi Patricia, depending on how saucy you like your pasta this recipe should be enough for approximately a pound of pasta.