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One pot creamy garlic pasta with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley served in a large skillet

One Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta

Spaghetti cooked directly in seasoned broth and heavy cream with garlic, finished with parmesan in a single wide skillet. The pasta releases starch as it cooks and thickens the sauce naturally, producing a rich, glossy garlic cream pasta with no separate sauce pan and minimal cleanup in just 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 742
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz spaghetti or linguine
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup water added as needed during cooking
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese from a block, not pre-shredded
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped for serving

Equipment

  • Large Wide Skillet or Straight-Sided Sauté Pan
  • Tongs
  • Microplane or Box Grater

Method
 

  1. Melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and just pale gold. Do not brown fully.
  2. Add broth, cream, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
  3. Add dry pasta directly to the simmering liquid. Press down with tongs to submerge. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring every 2 minutes, for 10 to 13 minutes until al dente and sauce is glossy and coating. Add water in small splashes if the pan looks dry before pasta is done.
  4. Remove from heat. Add parmesan and stir vigorously until fully melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Plate immediately and top with fresh parsley, extra parmesan, and cracked black pepper.

Notes

  • Use a wide skillet so pasta lies as flat as possible in the liquid for even cooking.
  • Never rinse the pasta - the starch it releases thickens the sauce naturally.
  • Add parmesan only after removing the pan from heat to prevent clumping and graininess.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan from a block - pre-shredded bagged parmesan contains anti-caking starch that causes lumpy sauce.
  • Reheat leftovers with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or broth over low heat, stirring constantly, to restore the sauce texture.