Cream Cheese Pasta 10 Ingredients And 20 Minutes Recipe

Looking for some delicious, comforting, fuss-free, last-minute dinner ideas to make on a busy weeknight? This easy recipe for cream cheese pasta with spinach and corn is perfect for you. It needs only 10 basic ingredients (including salt, pepper, water, and oil) and gets ready within 20 minutes. And, if you are a cheese lover, you cannot miss this recipe. This cheesy pasta is one of the easiest and yummiest pasta dishes you will ever find. The simple and delicious sauce made with cream cheese perfectly coats the pasta, making the dish irresistible. I have shared in some of my other posts also that though I love cooking, I don’t like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I prefer making simple, quick, easy recipes that are delicious too. All the complicated recipes are reserved only for weekends or holidays. On weekdays I try to get free from my kitchen within 45 minutes. So, recipes like today’s easy cream cheese penne recipe are what I prefer cooking on a normal day. You will find a lot of other quick and easy recipes on my blog like under 25 minutes mushroom noodles, under 25 minutes aloo matar, 20 minutes potato curry, or 15 minutes stir-fried snow peas.

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

How to make (step-by-step instructions)?

This is one of the simplest pasta recipes you will ever find. It gets ready within minutes and the only step that takes time is boiling the pasta. The four main steps of the recipe are- cooking pasta, making an easy cream cheese pasta sauce, sautéeing vegetables, and then mixing everything. You can check the step-by-step process with photo shots below: Step 1: Cook pasta al dente as per the instructions given on its packet. Step 2: Just before straining pasta, reserve around 2 cups of starchy pasta water and keep the strained pasta aside. Step 3: Put cream cheese in a bowl. Add pasta water, around ¼ cup at a time. Step 4: Whisk until smooth to make a cream cheese sauce. Keep the sauce aside. Step 5: Heat oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute for a minute. Step 6: Add sweet corn kernels, chili flakes, salt, and ground black pepper. Step 7: Saute until the corn gets cooked. Step 8: Add spinach and saute until the leaves get wilted. Step 9: Add cream cheese sauce Step 10: Cook for around 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Step 11: Add cooked pasta. Step 12: Mix until everything gets combined. If the sauce is too thick add pasta water, cream, or milk. Your delicious pasta with cream cheese is ready to be enjoyed!

Serving cream cheese pasta

You can serve some easy fresh crunchy salad like this fattoush , Mediterranean lentil salad , or a simple green salad on the side with this creamy pasta dish. It can also be served with crispy garlic bread, oven-baked potato wedges, or roasted vegetables. Or, just serve it with a bowl of comforting soup like this roasted cauliflower soup, zucchini potato soup, or a simple vegetarian potato soup to enjoy your comforting, delicious, and easy meat-free meal.

Storing and reheating tips

To store, transfer the leftover pasta to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. The best way to reheat pasta with cream cheese is in the microwave. For that, transfer the dish to a microwave-safe container, add a splash of water, and microwave for a minute. Take out the dish and stir. Keep it back inside the microwave and continue heating until evenly heated. To reheat on the stovetop, transfer the pasta to a pan with a lid. Add around ¼ cup of water and put on the lid of the pan. Reheat covered for a few minutes until evenly heated. Gently stir after every 2-3 minutes.