Creamy Milk Pasta One-Pot (Printer-friendly)

Luxuriously creamy pasta cooked directly in milk with garlic, butter, and Parmesan. Ready in 25 minutes with minimal effort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Dairy

02 - 4 cups whole milk
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
04 - 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Aromatics & Seasoning

05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
10 - Extra Parmesan, for serving

# Steps:

01 - In a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
02 - Pour in the milk and bring just to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
03 - Add the pasta, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (if using). Stir well to prevent sticking.
04 - Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 12–15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and most of the milk has thickened into a creamy sauce. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add a splash more milk as needed.
05 - Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce is silky. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Remove from heat. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It uses ingredients you already have in your fridge, no specialty shopping required.
  • The pasta cooks right in the milk, so theres only one pot to wash at the end of the night.
  • The sauce is naturally creamy without flour, cornstarch, or heavy cream.
  • You can taste the gentle sweetness of the milk mingling with nutty Parmesan in every bite.
02 -
  • Do not let the milk boil hard or it will curdle and separate, a gentle simmer is all you need.
  • Stir frequently or the pasta will stick to the bottom and scorch, ruining the flavor.
  • If the sauce gets too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash more milk and keep stirring.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre-shredded stuff has anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy.
03 -
  • Use a wide shallow pan instead of a tall pot so the milk reduces faster and more evenly.
  • Taste the pasta a minute before the timer goes off, al dente is better than mushy and it keeps cooking off the heat.
  • If you want a thicker sauce, let it simmer an extra minute or two, if its too thick, just add milk.
  • Grate your own Parmesan right before cooking, it melts smoother and tastes infinitely better than the stuff in the green can.
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