One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
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The easiest and creamiest pasta made in a single pot – even the pasta gets cooked right in the pan! How easy is that?

Garlic and parmesan. A match made in heaven. And with the help of a single pan, you can make the easiest, most epic pasta ever.


Just think of this as a creamy alfredo, except without the heavy cream and the cream cheese. And no, taste is not compromised in this super easy one pot meal.

The one pan aspect actually helps the noodles soak up all that amazing flavor, giving you that light cream sauce coating the noodles in all its garlic-Parmesan glory.

And if you really want to save on dishes, you know my rule – this should get eaten straight out of the pot. The dishes, the plating, the garnishes – it’ll just slow you down anyway!

One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk, or more, as needed
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, milk and fettuccine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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Soinds delicios! Are you able to use the same amount of any shaped pasta? Would the liquid measurements be the same?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
Your recipes always look so amazing! I have made a few in the past but, while they have been easy to make and always cook well, I haven’t been pleased with the end result. However, I fully believe that is because I choose to make something that calls for an ingredient that I want to like, but don’t actually like (honey, for example), and it has nothing to do with the recipe itself. Meaning, even though I don’t always like the end result, I still believe it’s a good recipe. Anyway, I made this tonight, using a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and slightly more than a 1/2 cup of 2% because I didn’t want the cream to go to waste. I also sautéed some shrimp. The end result was absolutely amazing and definitely a dish I will make again. Thank you!
OMG I made this today and it came out AMAZING! Thanks!
do you have any suggestions for a replacement for chicken broth?
You can try substituting vegetable broth.
This recipe was fantastic! I was running late so I had my husband make it and he’s not a cook by any means. We loved it including my picky 2 1/2 year old. Thanks so much for sharing!
This pasta was absolutely delicious! It was quick and easy as well. I used whole wheat spirals and added sautéed zucchini and a few pieces of crumbled bacon. My husband and daughter are very excited for the leftovers in their lunches tomorrow!
I made this twice today. The first time was awesome; better with shredded Parmesan asiago on top. The second time I was out of chicken broth, so I used soy sauce and water. It turned out really good. Definitely making this again! May even try different flavors.
I tried to make this recipe last night but after about 10 minutes of simmering, all the sauce evaporated/was absorbed and the noodles wouldn’t cook anymore! What am I doing wrong? 🙁
Angela, how much pasta did you use? Did you use 8 ounces as indicated in the recipe?
I used 8oz of pasta, however I used spaghetti instead of fettucini.
I worry that your heat source was set too high.
This recipe sounds great! Can I substitute chicken broth with plain water? In which case, should I add anything additional to get the right consistency and flavor?
Yes, you can certainly substitute water but it is really best to use chicken broth to obtain the best results possible. Using water may result in a mediocre outcome.
Most certainly, you can use water with Knorr Chicken Consomé.
I loved this pasta! Had to share it with all my friends and family
Delicious! I just made this for dinner. I was so easy and so good. Thanks!
Made this tonight with small shells. It was excellent! I tripled the recipe, and when my teen age sons went back for seconds I had to make them wait while I put some aside for Dad, who works nights. This will definitely make an appearance at our house again soon. Thank you!
I’m 13 and I made this for my family tonight. They all loved it & it was so easy to make. I started getting worried partway through because it was REALLY liquid-y, but it gets thicker, so don’t worry. 5 stars! 🙂
This was very delicious & my kids absolutely loved it! It will be a tegular in our home now 🙂
Hi. This sounds amazing and so easy. I would like to add shrimp or chicken, should I cook that in a separate pan? Also, which seasoning do you suggest for the protein would you think pairs good with it? I don’t want to use anything that will take away from your recipe. Thank you!!!
Yes, it may be best to cook the shrimp or chicken in a separate pan. As for the seasonings, I would go simple with salt and pepper, to taste, but it’s really up to you!
I tried this the other night with organic 2% milk and a wedge of imported parmesan… amazing. The noodles were al dente after absorbing all of the broth and milk. After stirring in the freshly grated cheese this dish was perfection. I love that it is a lighter version of the butter laden alfredo sauces but with the same richness! I cant wait to make this for my friends! Thankyou 🙂
Think I can substitute spaghetti squash for reg pasta? Worried it won’t taste as good and I have Fam coming over this weekend. Has anyone tried this substitution???
Unfortunately I don’t think spaghetti squash would be an appropriate substitute for this one pot meal.
This dish is wonderfully yummy – very creamy and garlicky and it keeps absorbing the liquid if you can’t eat it exactly after 20 minutes. It is soooo easy and quick to make – definitely a “keeper” ! I am always looking for new side dishes and this is one I’ll definitely come back to again – thanks!
Just made this for dinner… used Almond Milk instead of milk, whole wheat noodles, and minced garlic instead of garlic cloves. Also added broccoli…. GREAT recipe! Whole family loved it, will defiantly make again. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Just made it.it was delicious.i used vegetable broth ( I am vegetarian )and put 2 cups of milk instead of one.really good, I,will do it again,thanks.i love your website