White Pasta Sauce is creamy and delicious! This recipe is made with milk instead of heavy cream and is perfect for pastas but can be used on vegetables, meat and casserole dishes too. Ready in only 10 minutes, it's better and healthier than store bought pasta sauce.
It was simply delicious. Today my kids want it AGAIN!
I know that if I make pasta, my kids will eat it. When I'm too tired to even think about mealtime battles, I default to pasta. They could and would eat it every night, but are pretty particular about the sauce. While we can never go wrong with spaghetti sauce, we all need a change every now and then. White cream sauce with milk is the perfect alternative. Made with basic pantry and fridge ingredients, this sauce recipe is super creamy and tasty.
It takes only about 10 minutes. Not only is it quick, it's healthier than recipes made with heavy whipping cream and those bought from the store. There is a minimal preparation aside from mincing the garlic cloves. It's very similar to making a homemade mac and cheese sauce and broccoli and cheese soup.
Ingredients
- Milk: you can use skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk, or evaporated milk. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content, the richer the sauce will be. So whole milk will have a richer and thicker outcome than when using skim milk. I have not tried this with non-dairy milks.
- Flour: use all purpose flour rather than specialty flours.
- Parmesan cheese: use grated Parmesan instead of shredded, as grated incorporates better into the milk mixture. If using shredded, make sure it's freshly shredded and not packaged shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives that make it harder to melt without it turning rubbery or stringy.
- Butter
- Minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
It's as healthy as the ingredients that go into it. So if you stick with the recipe as written and do not substitute or add variations, the recipe is not entirely unhealthy. The pasta does add carbs and the cheese adds fat, so be careful if you're on a keto or weight-loss diet.
Step-By-Step Directions
Follow these easy steps to make a quick, creamy white pasta sauce.
Step 1: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Step 2: Add the all-purpose flour and continue stirring constantly for 1 more minute. This will create a roux, which looks like a thick white paste. Make sure the burner is on medium and not high here. Roux burns easily.
Step 3: Slowly pour in the milk, stirring as you do so. Keep stirring after all the milk is in the pot, until the sauce thickens. Add the salt, black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Whisk constantly while the cheese melts. After the cheese has melted, simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the pot from the heat immediately when done and toss with cooked pasta.
*This recipe makes 2 cups of sauce, which is enough for about 12 ounces of pasta. It can be doubled, tripled, or halved. Keep all ingredient ratios proportionate.
Serving
White sauce is most delicious on pasta, but is fantastic drizzled over chicken, vegetables or baked salmon and shrimp.
It's also great mixed into rice dishes or served with crusty bread and vegetable side dishes.
What To Serve With White Cream Pasta:
Variations
To make it a full meal, you can:
Add protein: serve with fried chicken tenders, grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp.
Add vegetables: add chopped spinach, kale, cherry/grape tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.
Add spices: make it spicy with a dash of red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, or even scotch bonnet powder. Fresh diced jalapeños can also be added.
Storing
Fridge: store in a mason jar or airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freezer: store in plastic freezer safe bag for around 6 months. However, white pasta sauce is best used fresh on the same day. The freezer will cause texture changes.
Recipe
White Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Small pot
- whisk
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk whole or reduced fat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add all purpose flour and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until a thick paste forms.
- Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Whisk for 1 minute, or until it a thick sauce forms.
- Add the salt, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat immediately and add to cooked chicken, pasta, fish, or vegetables.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Aarika says
My whole family wanted 2nds. I was looking for a recipe with milk instead of heavy cream and came across your recipe. I added ground hamburger, chopped spinach, onion powder and red pepper flakes, then added the penne. Will definitely be making again! So delicious!
Tricia says
Delicious recipe! Smooth preparation and very good taste. Love it.
Amber says
Have made this three times.
For thickening, we found it best to whisk for much longer than the 1 minute suggested in step 2, and let it sit off the heat to really thicken up, as we are only using 1% milk. My partner also doesn’t like Parmesan cheese, so we substitute with marble cheddar. It’s a little more orange looking, but still very tasty!
Thank you for the recipe - we found this when we were out of pasta sauce and had nothing on hand but milk, butter and cheese. We kept making it because it’s so fast, easy and delicious. We add meatballs and broccoli for additional protein and veggie servings.
C.A. Carter says
OMG this sauce is everything!! I usually make my own Alfredo/white pasta sauce but for the life of me couldn’t remember the steps. I found your recipe and it is phenomenal! I wish I had some bacon because that would’ve topped it off!!