Creamy Garlic Sauce Recipe for Pasta, Chicken, and Veggies

My garlic cream sauce is a simple, elegant condiment that elevates weeknight meals. Naturally gluten-free and keto-friendly, this sauce is light, bright and full of flavor. It comes together in under 10 minutes using just four main ingredients and a few common seasonings you likely have in your pantry. Versatile and satisfying, it’s perfect tossed with pasta, spooned over rice or vegetables, or draped atop your favorite protein.

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Garlic Cream Sauce

Butter Up, Buttercup

Butter melted in sauté pan — Heat over medium until fully melted.

A Little Garlic Never Hurt Nobody

Minced garlic — Add crushed or minced garlic to the melted butter…

Garlic sautéd to a light brown in the butter in the pan — …and sauté until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Avoid burning it to keep the flavor clean.

Let’s Get Saucy

Broth added to pan — Deglaze the pan with broth, reserved pasta water, or a splash of dry white wine.

Broth bubbling in pan — Let the liquid bubble with the garlic and butter for a minute to meld flavors.

Adding heavy cream to pan — Stir in heavy cream to give the sauce its rich, silky base.

‘Tis The Season

Adding seasonings to pan — Season with your preferred spices—salt, pepper and a touch of Italian herbs work well. Taste and adjust as needed.

The Thick Trick

Sauce in pan bubbling — Bring the sauce to a gentle boil over medium-high heat to activate the thickening process.

Stirring pan — Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally so it thickens evenly.

Sauce simmering and thickening in pan — As the sauce reduces, it will become glossy and slightly coat the pan.

Sauce thickened in pan and coating the back of a spoon — When it clings to the back of a spoon, it’s ready.

Sauce Away, Your Way

Adding pasta to pan with sauce in it — This sauce is very flexible: pour it over chicken, fish, meat, rice or steamed vegetables for an instant flavor boost.

Tossing pasta with sauce — Or toss it with cooked pasta. Reserve some pasta water when you boil the noodles to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pasta fully coated in sauce — Combine pasta and sauce in the sauté pan, adding reserved pasta water in small increments for a creamier, silkier finish.

Plate of pasta and bowl of sauce next to it — No matter how you serve it, this garlic cream sauce adds richness and balance without weighing the dish down.

Man trying sauce with pasta. — It’s especially delicious tossed with pasta or spooned over seared chicken cutlets.

Yield: 6

Garlic Cream Sauce

This garlic cream sauce is quick, versatile and satisfying. It takes minimal ingredients and minimal time to produce a creamy, aromatic sauce that complements pasta, rice, vegetables and proteins equally well.

Prep Time
5 minutes

Cook Time
8 minutes

Total Time
13 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter
3 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup liquid of your choice (broth, dry white wine, or reserved pasta water)
2 cups heavy cream
Seasonings to taste (see Jeffrey’s tips below)

Serving Options

Cooked pasta (reserve 1 cup pasta water if tossing with pasta)
Cooked rice
Cooked protein such as chicken, fish or meat

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 4.5– to 5-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté about 2 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
Add the chosen liquid and bring to a bubble for about 1 minute to deglaze and concentrate flavor.
Stir in the heavy cream and any seasonings. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Turn off the heat. To toss with pasta, add 1 pound cooked pasta to the pan and mix until coated; add reserved pasta water in 1/4 cup increments to reach the desired consistency. Otherwise, pour the sauce over cooked protein, rice or vegetables.

Jeffrey’s Tips

For seasoning, start with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of oregano and garlic/onion powder. Adjust to taste. If you want more sauce, double the ingredients and extend the simmer time a few minutes so it thickens properly. When tossing with pasta, add reserved pasta water in small amounts to achieve a smooth, clingy sauce.