Cream Sauce {for Pasta}

There is no doubt that Italian food is my favorite type of food. I could eat pasta every day. Even though I could easily argue that there's "no such thing as too much pasta", I try to save myself from carb-overload and an expanding waistline, so I really limit my intake of pasta. {In fact, I just ordered pasta at a restaurant the other night, realizing I hadn't indulged in a good pasta dish in a couple of months!}

This is a fabulous recipe from Real Simple magazine for a simple cream sauce that can be paired with any pasta. It's versatile since it's very simple to add in extras to your pasta to give flavor and a little extra nutritional value {if you're adding in vegetables}.

Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pasta {I didn't use it for this recipe, but I try to use whole wheat pasta whenever possible}
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup {4 oz} grated Parmesan*

*I always recommend buying a block of Parmesan and freshly grating it right onto your pasta, which really releases the delicious flavors of the Parmesan.


Cook the pasta according to the package directions. In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, warm the cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.

This recipe suggests and "upgrade" using peas and chives. You'll want approximately 10 ounces of thawed frozen peas.  Stir the peas into the cream sauce as it begins to heat up:

Instead of using chives, I decided to use this bag of Oscar Meyer bacon bits. {I'm a big fan of these and the "bacon pieces" which I use in the little breakfast quiches I make for Matt.} I mixed these into the pasta and sauce before transferring them to a serving dish.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

There really couldn't be an easier recipe. We really loved this dish, although it definitely doesn't top the recipe I shared for Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs.

Do you like this gorgeous pasta bowl??! It was a wedding gift from my Aunt and Uncle. You can't really tell from the photo, but it's huge! It also has a matching bread plate. My Aunt Adriana {by marriage} is Italian and I'm so grateful she gifted these lovely pieces of pottery, perfect for serving our Italian dishes. Sadly, no Italian blood runs in my veins, however. I'm a pure British-Isles maiden--Irish, English, and Scottish on both sides.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!