Creamy Garlic Parmesan Shells Pasta
My kids don’t start school until after Labor Day so they are still making occasional lunch requests during the week. Creamy pasta is always a big hit with my kids but instead of doing the really decadent versions like alfredo or mac and cheese, I made this lighter version using my son’s favorite pasta shape, milk, chicken broth, garlic, and lots of parmesan cheese. My kids loved this pasta and said it was really creamy and tasty without being too heavy and rich.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Shells Pasta
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water to al dente, per package instructions. Drain the pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Side Note: Don’t overcook the pasta because it will cook a bit more in the sauce.
Make the creamy garlic parmesan sauce while the pasta is cooking by heating the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the parmesan cheese while whisking; simmer while stirring occasionally for a few minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.
Add the drained pasta to the creamy garlic parmesan sauce along with a bit of reserved cooking water, if needed, and toss to coat evenly. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to allow flavors to mingle and the sauce to thicken. Taste the sauce and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with fresh parmesan on the side. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 12 oz shell pasta, cooked al dente
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth Side Note: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup fresh parmesan, finely grated
- Pinch of fresh nutmeg, grated
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water to al dente, per package instructions. Drain the pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Side Note: Don't overcook the pasta because it will cook a bit more in the sauce.
- Make the creamy garlic parmesan sauce while the pasta is cooking by heating the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add the parmesan cheese while whisking. Add the nutmeg then simmer while stirring occasionally for a few minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Add the drained pasta to the creamy garlic parmesan sauce along with a bit of reserved cooking water, if needed, and toss to coat evenly.
- Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to allow flavors to mingle and the sauce to thicken. Taste the sauce and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with fresh parmesan on the side. Enjoy.
Looks comforting, filling and so tasty! A great weekday meal, Pam.
this would be perfect to pack for school lunches for my cheese-loving daughter!
This looks great! Great for lunch, but also for dinner. Or breakfast. 🙂 Thanks!
Looks delicious! I like the addition of garlic to the recipe; it must add a great deal of flavor.
Looks fantastic and I bet it tasted that way.
This looks like one of those Lipton packaged dishes that I used to make. I’m definitely going to try this.
It was very good and not too hard to make (this is only the second or third recipe I’ve ever cooked on my own lol) we added peas and chicken.
Arick,
I’m so glad you liked it! Adding chicken and peas sounds tasty. Congrats on starting to cook!
-Pam
How many calories per cup I wonder
(For my calorie counting ao)
Sherrie,
I don’t provide nutritional information but there are websites that do.
Here is one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hope this helps.
-Pam
The pasta looks so good. How long does it take to cook the pasta
I also wonder how many grams of protein there is in one serving of this pasta
Tyler,
Every pasta is different so you will need to cook it per the package instructions. I don’t supply nutritional information for my recipes but there are nutritional calculators available online. I hope this helps.
-Pam
Hi my name is Sriya, my mom made this recipe for Thanksgiving. It’s so delicious!
Sriya,
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
Would this be doable to add ground beef too? Or would that mess it up?
Raven,
I’ve never tried it but I think it could work. It will be really hearty and rich but probably very tasty. I would cook the ground beef first then drain it before mixing it in. Let me know how it turns out.
-Pam
Raven,
I’ve never tried it but I think it could work. It will be really hearty and rich but probably very tasty. I would cook the ground beef first then drain it before mixing it in. Let me know how it turns out.
-Pam
So, the picture shows medium shells pasta, and I was looking at doing this with small shells. Should I still use 12 oz of pasta and what is the equivalent in cups?
Caitlin,
You can use any size shell you would like. Yes, use 12 oz of pasta of choice. I used a box of 12 oz shells but didn’t measure it in cups but I’m sure you can find a conversion for oz to cups online.
-Pam
I wonder if you can make this in a crockpot. and if you have any instructions
Shelly,
I’m sorry, I have never tried making it in a slow cooker so I’m not sure how it would turn out. The whole recipe is ready within 20 minutes so a slow cooker may not be the best cooking vessel for this dish.
-Pam