Cream Cheese Pasta

Creamy, comforting and delicious, this ridiculously easy cream cheese pasta comes together in just 20 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner!

If you’re looking for a 20-minute dinner that is loaded with flavour and super easy to make, look no further than this rich and creamy pasta! It is one of the easiest and most satisfying pasta dishes to make at home.

The easy cream cheese pasta sauce is made with a block of Philadelphia cream cheese and mixed with some starchy pasta water. When combined with garlic, pecorino and salt and pepper, it makes the silkiest, smoothest and most incredible pasta you’ve ever tried – with very minimal effort!

Need some more easy pasta dishes? Try this 15-minute spaghetti carbonara or cream cheese tomato pasta.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy – only a handful of ingredients and about 20 minutes are needed. While there are a few elements, everything is made at the same time and comes together at the end.
• Super delicious – a creamy, rich and glossy sauce that clings lusciously to every strand of pasta. Not to mention ridiculously easy! The whole family will love it.
• Customise to suit – this recipe includes roasted sweet potato, halloumi and pine nuts, but you can use the creamy pasta sauce as a base and add your favourite proteins or any vegetables you have handy. Or, the pasta and sauce is incredible on its own if you want to skip the extra add-ins and just top it with some freshly grated pecorino.
• Budget friendly – using pasta and cream cheese as the base, it makes a super affordable, comforting and filling dinner that can be adapted to suit whatever you have in the fridge.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Cream cheese – is melted with olive oil, garlic and a cup of pasta water to make the easy, creamy pasta sauce. I recommend using regular, full-fat cream cheese for the best flavour. You can use low-fat cream cheese if preferred, but the taste will be less rich and the consistency a little thinner. I use Philadelphia cream cheese, but any full-fat, good quality brand will work.

• Pasta – choose your favourite! I love using fettuccine or any type of pasta like spaghetti with long strands that cling to the sauce and are perfect for slurping. But shells, spirals or smaller pasta pieces work well too.

• Starchy pasta water – it is important to reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta. Pasta water is stirred into the olive oil and cream cheese, creating an emulsion which gives you a super smooth, luscious sauce. Using salted pasta water instead of regular water will give your pasta the best flavour and consistency and help it stick to the pasta strands.

• Pecorino – or parmesan is grated and added to the sauce to thicken the sauce and add flavour. I recommend grating your own fresh parmesan rather than buying pre-shredded cheese in a packet. Keep some extra for sprinkling over the top of the pasta at the end! *For vegetarian pasta, pecorino can be swapped for nutritional yeast- however the sauce will be a little runnier, so test the consistency after ¾ cup pasta water first and add a little more, if needed.

• Sweet potato – is cut into very small cubes and tossed through the creamy sauce at the end. You can use the oven or an air fryer to roast the sweet potato while the pasta cooks.

• Pine nuts – add a lovely texture and earthy flavour that works beautifully with the salty halloumi and sweet potato.

Step by step guide

There are a few components in this dish, but the great thing is that everything can be made at the same time and come together at the end!

Step 1 – Roast the sweet potato;

Cut the sweet potato into very small cubes (about 1cm in size) so that it roasts quickly, in the same time that it takes to cook the pasta. You can use your oven or air fryer to roast the sweet potato. I’ve included instructions for both below.

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Step 2 – Cook the pasta;

While the sweet potato is roasting, add your pasta to a pot of salted, boiling water. Use about 2 litres of water and about 1 teaspoon of salt (other salty ingredients like pecorino and halloumi will add more salty flavour, so you don’t want to add too much.

When the pasta is almost ready to drain, reserve a little over one cup of the salted pasta water.

Step 3 – Toast the pine nuts and halloumi;

Using the pan that you will make the pasta sauce, toast the pine nuts. Add them to a dry, un-oiled pan and stir frequently, as they can burn quickly. Set the pine nuts aside in a bowl for later.

Then, fry slices of the halloumi in the pan until golden brown on both sides. Cut into small pieces and set aside.

Step 4 – Make the cream cheese pasta sauce;

While the pasta and sweet potato are cooking, it is time to start the creamy sauce. First, add the oil and garlic to a pan and fry over very low heat until , being careful not to burn the garlic.

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Add the cream cheese and one cup of pasta water and stir over low heat until combined and smooth.

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Add the grated pecorino cheese and stir. Turn the heat off and stir through some spinach leaves, until wilted.

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Step 5 – Combine the sauce and pasta;

Add the drained pasta, roasted sweet potato, pine nuts and halloumi pieces and stir to combine. Check the consistency of the sauce and add a little more pasta water, if it needs to loosen up a little.

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Serve immediately with extra pecorino cheese and some cracked pepper.

Full ingredient quantities and steps can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

• Don’t forget to reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta. Regular water just won’t give you the same result. Add one cup to make the sauce and keep a little more aside in case you want the sauce a little thinner.

• Season at the end – to prevent over-salting. The pasta water and pecorino contain salt, so taste the sauce at the end and then adjust the seasoning to taste.

• Feel free to customise and add your vegetables or protein of choice. Any steamed or roasted vegetables like asparagus, peas, zucchini, spinach or broccolini work great.

• Leftovers – while it is best eaten at the time it is made, this pasta keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Add a little splash of water to loosen up the sauce and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.

• Wait until just before draining the pasta to scoop out the pasta water. This will ensure the water is very starchy, giving you a rich, creamy sauce.

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Update notes: this recipe was first published in June 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in January 2022.