Cream cheese pasta- a delicious vegetarian pasta recipe that's made with only 10 basic ingredients and gets ready in less than 20 minutes. A quick, easy, comforting dish that's loved by everyone.
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Looking for some delicious, comforting, fuss-free, last-minute dinner ideas? This easy recipe of cream cheese pasta with spinach and corn is perfect for you.
It needs only 10 basic ingredients (including salt, pepper, water, 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.
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 creamy cheese pasta recipe are what I prefer cooking on a normal day. You will find a lot of such other quick and easy recipes on my blog like under 25 minutes mushroom noodles or under 25 minutes aloo matar.
If you also prefer cooking quick and easy recipes, don't miss to subscribe to my newsletter using the subscription form given on the sidebar.
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Ingredients required and substitute suggestions
For this quick cream cheese pasta recipe, only the following ingredients are required:
- Pasta: I have used penne but any type of pasta can be used.
- Cream cheese: You can increase the quantity given in the recipe card if you want to make it more creamy and cheesy.
- Spinach: Fresh/ frozen both are fine. I have used chopped frozen spinach. If you are using baby spinach, chopping is not required.
- Sweet corn: Fresh/ canned/ frozen all are fine. If using fresh, the cooking time of corn will increase.
- Olive oil: Butter can be used too. It will make the pasta more creamy and buttery.
- Garlic
- Red chili flakes: Mixed Italian herbs can also be used.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Water to cook the pasta
How to make it?
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 steps involved in making this recipe are:
- Cook the pasta al dente as per instructions given on its packet. Once cooked strain the pasta but don't discard the pasta water.
- Mix pasta water and cream cheese to prepare the sauce.
- Saute garlic in olive oil. Add corn, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Once the corn is cooked add spinach and cook until the spinach gets wilted.
- Add cream cheese mix, cook while continuously stirring until the sauce becomes smooth.
- Finally, add pasta and mix everything. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle some chili flakes and ground black pepper. Enjoy!
That's how simple the process of making this cream cheese pasta is.
Recipe tips & tricks
- Don't overcook the pasta otherwise, it will turn mushy spoiling the whole dish. Cook it al dente
- For pasta water, take out the water when the pasta is cooked. If you collect the water at an earlier stage there won't be enough starch in it. This starch helps in making a nice thick sauce.
- Instead of pasta water, you can also use cream and milk to mix with cream cheese for making the sauce.
- If you like even simpler pasta dishes, skip spinach and corn. Pasta in a simple cream cheese sauce with just some salt, pepper, garlic, and chili flakes also tastes awesome.
- To add more taste and texture, you can add mushrooms, broccoli, and other vegetables of your choice.
- For extra rich and creamy pasta, you can use butter instead of olive oil.
- Cheese lovers may add more variety of grated cheese to the sauce.
What to serve with it?
You can serve some fresh crunchy salad on the side with this easy cream cheese pasta. It can also be served with garlic cheese bread, or oven-baked potato wedges.
Or, just serve it with a bowl of comforting soup like this roasted cauliflower soup, and your comforting, delicious, and easy meat-free meal is ready.
More easy pasta recipes
If you are also a pasta lover and looking for some easy pasta recipes then you will definitely like the following recipes:
- Baked vegetable pasta
- Vegan pasta bolognese
- Easy vegan pasta salad
- Vegan minestrone soup
- Cherry tomato pasta
- Vegetarian Greek spaghetti
If you try any of my recipes then please don’t miss to rate it in the comments section below.
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Step by step photo instructions
Recipe
Cream cheese pasta with corn and spinach
Ingredients
- 400 gms uncooked pasta
- 1.5 cups cream cheese
- 1 cup chopped spinach fresh/ frozen
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels canned/ frozen
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes adjust as per taste
- Salt & pepper as per taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Water to cook pasta
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente, as per instructions given on its packet. Before draining, store 2 cups of pasta water.
- Put cream cheese in a bowl, add pasta water (around 1/4 cup at a time), and whisk until a smooth creamy mixture gets ready.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute for about a minute.
- Add corn kernel, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Saute until the corn gets cooked.
- Next, add spinach and saute until the leaves get wilted.
- Add cream cheese mix and cook while continuously stirring for around 2 minutes or until a nice smooth creamy sauce gets formed.
- Finally, add cooked pasta and mix until everything gets combined. Add more pasta water or cream/ milk if the sauce is too thick.
- Garnish with some freshly ground pepper and chili flakes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta otherwise, it will turn mushy spoiling the whole dish. Cook it al dente
- For pasta water, take out the water when the pasta is cooked. If you collect the water at an earlier stage there won't be enough starch in it. This starch helps in making a nice thick sauce.
- Instead of pasta water, you can also use cream and milk to mix with cream cheese for making the sauce.
- If you like even simpler pasta dishes, skip spinach and corn. Pasta in a simple cream cheese sauce with just some salt, pepper, garlic, and chili flakes also tastes awesome.
- To add more taste and texture, you can add mushrooms, broccoli, and other vegetables of your choice.
- For extra rich and creamy pasta, you can use butter instead of olive oil.
- Cheese lovers may add more variety of grated cheese to the sauce.
Nutrition
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