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This Pampered Chef recipe for Creamy Pasta has been on my radar for months. I finally made a half batch for dinner last weekend and am so glad I did.
It is definitely a keeper—quick, easy, healthy and delicious—perfect for a busy weeknight or weekend dinner.
What’s not to love?
“This one-pot wonder combines slivered garlic and fresh vegetables for a light pasta dish your family will be sure to request again.”
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Penne pasta
- Broccoli florets
- Carrot
- Cherry tomatoes
- Reduced-fat cream cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil for topping, if desired
How to Make Creamy Pasta, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: Place garlic and oil in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 3: Stir in pasta, cover and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 4: Add the vegetables and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
Step 5: Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Step 6: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediate, garnishing with Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Creamy One Pot Pasta?
According to my calculations, with my changes, each serving has just 290 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
11 SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
9 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Serve with a green salad to boost your daily vegetable quotient even higher 🙂
Recipe Notes
This is a great light vegetarian dish. For a heartier version, you can add sliced grilled chicken breasts or sliced grilled turkey sausage.
Of course, I ended up making several changes to this recipe based on what I had on hand and to boost the vegetable to pasta ratio.
I used farfalle instead of penne, a blend of broccoli, pea pods and carrots instead of just broccoli and carrots, and added both sun-dried and cherry tomatoes, instead of just one or the other.
I also grilled two links of Aidell’s Italian style chicken and turkey sausage with mozzarella, sliced them and stirred them in right at the end. Delicious.
If you’ve made this Light and Creamy Vegetable Pasta, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Light and Creamy One-Pot Pasta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and patted dry
- 2-3/4 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin half-moons
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil for garnish (if desired)
Instructions
- Place garlic and oil in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is golden, 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir in pasta, cover and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, 8-10 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and cream cheese to the pot of pasta and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
- Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, garnishing with Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 11 SmartPoints (Green plan) 9 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 9 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) If you add 2 links of Aidell’s Italian Chicken & Turkey Sausage with Mozzarella: 375 calories, 16 g fat, 39 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 19 g protein, 10 WW PointsPlus, 11 WW Points. I added 1 cup of sliced pea pods to the broccoli, carrots and tomatoes and then grilled sliced Italian style chicken sausage at the end the last time I made this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This short video from The Domestic Geek shows how she makes her own version of One-Pot Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms:
If you like Lightened Up Creamy One-Pot Pasta, you may also like
- Light and Creamy Slow Cooker Pasta Primavera (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Balsamic Roasted Veggie and White Bean Pasta (SkinnyTaste)
- Easy 4-Ingredient Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Casserole (SkinnyKitchen)
- Pasta with Tomatoes and Fresh Corn (Simple-Nourished-Living)
My 2 favorite things Weight Watchers and Pampered Chef