Parmesan Cream Sauce
on Jun 21, 2023, Updated Apr 03, 2024
This parmesan cream sauce is an easy and flavorful 10 minute cheese sauce that is perfect for serving with any kind of pasta!
What is Parmesan Sauce?
This parmesan cream sauce is a rich and flavorful cheese sauce made with milk, heavy cream, garlic, and parmesan cheese. It is absolutely delicious and pairs well with a variety of pastas, vegetables, and proteins.
This easy cheese sauce is:
- perfect for busy weeknights: with just 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to make, this parmesan cheese sauce is an easy recipe that can be made even on a busy night
- restaurant quality: wow your family with this sauce that rivals any restaurant dish. This garlic and parmesan cream sauce is sure to be a favorite meal that tastes just as good as takeout!
Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- milk: we prefer whole milk when making a cheese sauce, but you can also try using 2% milk
- heavy cream: heavy cream makes this sauce so incredibly creamy. We do not recommend substituting this, as it will result in a less thick and creamy sauce.
- grated parmesan cheese: you can use either grated parmesan you can purchase in the dairy aisle, or grate a block of parmesan cheese fresh.
- minced garlic: fresh garlic is a must in this recipe and adds so much flavor to this sauce!
- butter: unsalted butter is what we use for this recipe, but you can also substitute olive oil, or salted butter. If you use salted butter you will want to adjust the added salt quantity.
- all-purpose flour: this is used to make a roux, which thickens the parmesan sauce.
- salt
How to make Parmesan Cream Sauce
Step 1: Melt the butter in a sauce pan or dutch oven. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly until fragrant, around one minute or less. Add the flour and whisk constantly for around 1 minute, until it starts to brown.
Step 2: Add the milk and heavy cream, stirring often until totally combined (around 5 minutes).
- Recipe note: Do not let your cheese sauce burn. If the milk is starting to boil, turn down the heat or remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds. Watch the sauce closely to avoid burning.
Step 3: Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the salt to taste. Turn the heat to low, or remove the sauce from the heat until ready to serve.
Using Parmesan Cream Sauce For Pasta
This parmesan cream sauce is delicious served over any kind of pasta such as:
- bowtie pasta
- rigatoni pasta
- fettuccini pasta
- spaghetti
- linguini
- shell pasta
- macaroni noodles
This sauce is simple but so flavorful and rivals the taste of something you would buy at a restaurant! Serve this creamy sauce over pasta with a protein and a veggie on the side for a delicious meal.
My favorite way to serve this creamy parmesan sauce is with sausage and roasted broccoli.
Recipe Tips
- Prepare the ingredients ahead: this sauce comes together quickly and requires stirring often to avoid burning. It’s best to gather and prepare your ingredients first so that you can add them as soon as they are needed and make the process go smoother.
- Salt to taste: add the salt at the end so that you can control the level of sodium. Depending upon what other foods you are serving this parmesan sauce with, you may need less salt than the recipe calls for.
- Serve hot: the sauce will start to thicken as it cools off. Serve this sauce hot for best results. If you are reheating the cream sauce, add it to a sauce pan and stir over low heat until it is creamy and heated through.
Other ways we use this Cheese Sauce
- in a pasta bake: toss this parmesan sauce with pasta of choice and add in veggies like mushrooms, onion, and spinach. Add chicken or sausage and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.
- over vegetables as a side dish: this creamy sauce makes a great sauce to serve over steamed vegetables
How to store leftovers
- storage: Store leftover parmesan sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- freezing: We do not recommend freezing this sauce as it can alter the texture once thawed.
- reheating: Reheat leftover parmesan cream sauce in a sauce pan on the stove until heated through.
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Parmesan Cream Sauce for Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat
- Add the minced garlic and stir constantly until fragrant (less than a minute)
- Add the all-purpose flour and whisk constantly for around 1 minute, until it starts to brown
- Add the milk and heavy cream, stirring often until totally combined (around 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn the milk, and turn the heat down if it starts to boil. Watch the sauce closely to avoid burning.
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until totally melted. Stir in the salt to taste and remove from the heat
