Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce is a creamy, comforting dinner you can have on the table in under 20 minutes. The Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is a simple shortcut recipe that is ridiculously easy to make.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 1045kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
1 stick butter, cut in slices
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ¾ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
dash black pepper

Instructions

Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it is al dente, or about 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
Save about one cup of the pasta water before you drain the water.
It’s best to toss the pasta in the sauce immediately after it is done cooking. So start the sauce just before you drop the pasta into the water.
If the pasta is done before the sauce and sticks together, you can just toss it in a little pasta water to unstick it.
Cut the butter into slices and melt it in a large skillet or pan over medium heat.
Cut the cream cheese into cubes and whisk it into the butter as it melts together. It will look like it has separated, but it’s okay. It gets better :).
After the cream cheese has melted, whisk in the garlic powder.
Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time until it is all incorporated.
Whisk in the Parmesan cheese until it has melted and fully incorporated into the sauce. Add the nutmeg and black pepper and whisk until combined.
Remove the sauce from the stove top and add the drained pasta to the sauce.
Use tongs to toss the pasta around until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce. This may take a minute or two. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it up.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

To create a smooth and silky alfredo sauce, use full-fat ingredients. The fat content is what makes it creamy.

For best results, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if possible, not the kind in a green shaker can.

Save about one cup of the pasta water before you drain the water.

It’s best to toss the pasta in the sauce immediately after it is done cooking. So start the sauce just before you drop the pasta into the water.

If the pasta is done before the sauce and sticks together, you can just toss it in a little pasta water to unstick it.

Nutrition