Cooking Techniques 19 Creamy Pasta Recipes for Comforting Dinners By Maria Yagoda Maria Yagoda Instagram Twitter Maria Yagoda is a senior editor at Food & Wine, where she has worked for five years, specializing in restaurant and travel coverage. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 13, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely There's nothing like a creamy pasta dish for cold winter nights, or really any time of year; pasta, in its endless variability, transcends the seasons. These creamy pasta recipes, from Pasta Carbonara to a cheesy Cacio e Pepe, are great for all skill levels. Bookmark these recipes for when you're craving a luxurious, comforting pasta meal. 01 of 19 Creamy Baked Pasta with Gruyère and Prosciutto John Kernick For a simple and ultra-creamy baked pasta, take a cue from chef Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner: Trade the usual béchamel for this much easier sauce of heavy cream simmered with plenty of nutmeg and two kinds of cheese. Get the Recipe 02 of 19 Creamy Lemon Pasta Victor Protasio Chef Andrew Zimmern mimics the sweet, fragrant lemons of Italy's Amalfi Coast with Meyer lemons in this beautifully bright and creamy pasta. The dish originated at L'Antica Trattoria in Sorrento, where lemon juice is tossed with just-cooked pasta until absorbed. Supremes of lemon add a juicy, tart pop that balances the cream in the sauce. Get the Recipe 03 of 19 Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera A few smart swaps transform your favorite creamy spring pasta into a vegan-friendly sensation. Umami-rich nutritional yeast shoulders the duties of Parmesan, while buttery macadamia nut milk stands in for heavy cream. Check the macadamia nut milk label closely when shopping to ensure it is unsweetened. Get the Recipe 04 of 19 Creamed Corn Pasta Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Fresh corn melts into a creamy sauce that clings to every cranny of this pasta from Victor King of The Essential in Birmingham, Alabama. Any short noodle, like gemelli or casarecce, will work here. Using a vegetable peeler to shave the corn kernels is key: the peeler cuts juicy pieces of fresh corn while leaving rich and creamy corn milk behind to add body and flavor to the sauce. Get the Recipe 05 of 19 Creamy Tomato Rigatoni Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen A judicious amount of heavy cream enriches this simple tomato sauce, producing a lush texture that clings to the pasta without blanketing richness. Get the Recipe 06 of 19 Creamy Vegan Pasta with Greens, Peas, and Lemon Zest Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Kathleen Varner / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey Quickly blanched greens and sizzling scallions and garlic meet in a surprisingly creamy vegan sauce for pasta, with a touch of white miso for added depth. Feel free to top with your favorite grated plant-based cheese, or just enjoy it all on its own. Get the Recipe 07 of 19 One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This creamy, savory pasta dish comes together in just one pot—no need to boil the pasta separately. A combination of savory sautéed mushrooms and gently sweet leeks combine with cream, lemon juice, and white wine to create the rich sauce. Feel free to switch up the flavor by adding tarragon instead of dill. Get the Recipe 08 of 19 Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard © Greg DuPree In matching spicy sausage with a creamy mustard sauce and fragrant basil, British cookbook author Nigel Slater created a quick pasta supper with warm, mildly spicy flavors, perfect for a cool fall or winter evening. Get the Recipe 09 of 19 Rigatoni with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce © Evi Abeler Tubes of rigatoni hold the tomato sauce, giving you a burst of creamy flavor with every bite. Use either hot or mild Italian sausage here, depending on your preference. Get the Recipe 10 of 19 Cacio e Plantain Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Mildly sweet and super creamy, caramelized plantains and nutty Parmesan form a silky sauce that drapes over spaghetti in this recipe by game-changing chef Eric Rivera. Choose very ripe plantains, with a mostly or completely black peel. Get the Recipe 11 of 19 Garganelli with Speck, Peas, and Scallion Cream Victor Protasio For restaurant-quality pasta at home, learning to use pasta cooking liquid to finish the sauce is essential — the dissolved starch in the water thickens the sauce while suspending the fat in a cream emulsion that clings to the noodles. Get the Recipe 12 of 19 Three-Pepper Cacio e Pepe Victor Protasio A trio of peppercorns gives this pasta a subtle, floral heat. If you like, spice it up, swapping the Szechuan pepper with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Get the Recipe 13 of 19 Southern-Style Mac 'n' Cheese Photo by Noah Fecks / Food Styling by Drew Aichele / Prop Styling by Ethan Lunkenheimer Three different kinds of cheese — extra-sharp cheddar, Colby-Jack, and cream cheese — go into writer Nikki Miller-Ka's creamy, savory macaroni and cheese recipe, which also gets layers of flavor from fresh bay leaves and dry mustard. Get the Recipe 14 of 19 Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Ham Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This modern take on a classic Italian pasta dish relies on ham instead of traditional pancetta for a dose of smoky flavor and richness. Get the Recipe 15 of 19 Cheesy Baked Pasta with Radicchio Greg DuPree A splash of red wine vinegar balances the richness of this cheesy pasta and magnifies the pink color of the onions and radicchio. Omit the prosciutto to make this a vegetarian main dish. Get the Recipe 16 of 19 Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts © Alexandra Rowley This rich, earthy dish featuring canned pumpkin puree was inspired by stovetop mac and cheese. The hazelnut and chive garnishes lend an elegant touch to this hearty pasta. Get the Recipe 17 of 19 Pasta Carbonara © Madeleine Hill This easy classic pasta dish comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a comforting meal any time. The chewy rigatoni stands up perfectly to this supremely rich and flavorful sauce. Get the Recipe 18 of 19 Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Leeks © Christina Holmes Instead of boiling pasta in water, Not Without Salt blogger Ashley Rodriguez cooks it in a super-flavorful combination of stock, cream, leeks, scallion, garlic, and chives. Get the Recipe 19 of 19 Pizzoccheri Gratin © John Kernick In Northern Italy, pizzoccheri are short, flat buckwheat noodles cooked with cabbage and potatoes and layered with cheese. For his version, Jonathon Sawyer cuts fresh lasagna sheets into noodles and bakes them in a gratin dish with a crispy bread crumb topping. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit