Go Back

One Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta

One pot creamy garlic pasta with silky linguine coated in a glossy garlic cream sauce and parmesan melted throughout. Cook it in a single pot until the sauce reduces and clings to each strand for an easy weeknight pasta dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 710
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Linguine or spaghetti
  • 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
Garlic
  • 6 cloves garlic cloves minced
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
Broth
  • 2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Heavy cream
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 cracked black pepper to taste
Basil and extra parmesan
  • 1 fresh basil for serving
  • 1 extra parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté garlic
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the minced garlic. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just golden, stirring so it doesn’t brown too fast.
Build the creamy base
  1. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and heavy cream to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Keep it at a gentle boil so it stays steady without aggressively splashing.
Cook pasta in the sauce
  1. Add the uncooked linguine or spaghetti and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently. Continue until the pasta is al dente and the liquid reduces into a creamy sauce that coats the noodles.
Melt in parmesan
  1. Stir in the parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and cook just until the cheese is fully melted. Keep stirring until the sauce turns silky and glossy.
Season and serve
  1. Season generously with salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust so the flavors pop in the creamy sauce.
Finish with toppings
  1. Serve immediately, topped with fresh basil and extra parmesan. Add the basil last so it stays bright and the parmesan sits warm and ready to melt.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, stir often once the pasta goes in so the starch helps thicken the cream instead of separating. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because cream sauces can break when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half (or evaporated milk) instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be slightly less rich.