15 Minute Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make pasta stay creamy? ›

You can add some cream, cheese and also a little boiled water in which the pasta was cooked. Adding all these elements will give your pasta sauce a thick and creamy structure.

Recipe Tips

If you don't have double cream, use single cream or crème fraîche instead. Soft cheese, such as cream cheese, can be used as alternative too – it's richer than the cream, so 100g/3½oz should be plenty, along with an extra splash of water.

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.

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.

Either one will give a wonderful balance of flavor and creaminess. Can you use milk instead of cream in pasta sauce? Whole milk or even a dairy-free milk, like almond milk, will work just fine in this recipe. They just won't thicken quite like half and half or cream.

Will pasta sauce work with 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.

Well, generally not. There are about 60 million Italians, obviously there are people who like it and who use it but it's generally said that the cream covers the flavors and is used by those who cannot cook. Sometimes it's used for "dry" pasta dishes, which need a little creaminess, for example pasta with ham and peas.

You don't want the cream to be boiling, just a very gentle simmer at all times. Add the lemon juice last. Lemon juice can curdle cream, I have never had that happen to me as I add it right at the end with the pasta. Also it shouldn't happen if your cream is neither too hot or too cold.

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Heavy cream will transform your sauce

Adding heavy cream to your jarred tomato sauce can transform it into a thicker, richer, creamy sauce that is velvety smooth. Your favorite premade sauce will not only become lighter in color, the cream will add a new depth of flavor to it.

Is half and half the same as heavy cream? ›

According to the FDA, half-and-half contains between 10.5 percent to 18 percent milk fat, while heavy cream contains between 36 percent and 40 percent milk fat. Because heavy cream contains more fat, it is thicker and has a richer taste and a creamier mouthfeel than half-and-half.

Since heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are the same product, you can use them interchangeably. Next time you see them displayed next to each other in the grocery store, you won't have to think twice about which one to pick up.

The usual minimum standard for cream is 10% fat content, though it ranges between 10% and 18%. Cream in this range may be sold as half and half, coffee cream, or table cream. Whipping cream is about 32% to 36% in milk fat content. Cream with 36% or higher is called heavy cream.

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.

Using a lid to trap heat in the pot will speed up this process. Water at an adequate boil will cook pasta faster, without suffering a significant temperature drop when the noodles are added, and this will keep your pasta from getting mushy.

You keep it in the fridge and when you re-heat it you add some tablespoons of water with any sauce or oil/butter you use. I know it looks gross as soon as you add it, but it will be soon incorporated into the sauce. I ate 1 day-old pasta that was unrefrigerated for about 15 hours.

Basically, move your hot pasta directly from the water to the sauce, cook the pasta in the sauce for a minute or two, and then add in a few tablespoons of the starchy pasta water. The starchy water helps the sauce emulsify, and should give it a texture that helps it cling to the pasta.