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A skillet filled with Creamy Herb Pasta with lemon slices and kitchen tongs.
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Creamy Herb Pasta

This Herb Pasta recipe has a delicious Parmesan cream sauce with butter, garlic, herbs, white wine, and linguine. It's a perfect side dish recipe or main course with roasted vegetables!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 530kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Seasonings

  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon parsley

Pasta

  • ½ lb. linguine
  • ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth. See notes.
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • lemon pepper seasoning optional. See notes
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 ¼ cups half and half (half cream half milk)
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated from a block
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

To Garnish

  • Fresh Parsley
  • Fresh Lemon
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prep Work: Combine the half and half, chicken broth, and seasonings in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out additional ingredients and begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta.
  • Add the white wine, butter, and garlic to a large skillet and bring it to a gentle bubble. Let it reduce by half, about 4 minutes. (Pro Tip: Add a pinch of high-quality lemon pepper seasoning to the skillet for even more flavor. See notes.)
  • Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Add half and half mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, and cover it partially.
  • Boil the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Salt the pasta water well to ensure that the pasta itself has plenty of flavor. I use 2 tbsp. kosher salt. Drain once cooked.
  • Slowly stir the grated cheese into the sauce over low heat.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt/freshly cracked pepper if desired. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are my favorite wines for this recipe. It adds next-level flavor to this sauce but chicken broth can be used if you don't cook with wine.
  • Pasta: I use linguine for this recipe but penne and fettuccine make great options as well.
  • Grate the cheese from a wedge, it will melt and taste much better than packaged grated cheese.
  • Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible, as the flavor is better than bottled lemon juice.
  • Make sure the heat is off when you add the lemon juice at the end. Add it slowly and stir in continuously to ensure it doesn't cause the cream to curdle.
  • I like to crack a little of this lemon pepper seasoning into the butter/garlic/wine while it reduces for a little extra flavor!
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 305mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 408mg | Iron: 2mg