White sauce pasta is a delicious dish made of pasta, butter, milk, cheese & herbs. It is basically cooked pasta tossed in cheesy white sauce. White sauce is also known as bechamel sauce & is made using flour, butter and milk. It originated from the Italian & french cuisines and is a base for many other sauce recipes.
White sauce is used in the preparation of various dishes like pasta, lasagne and pies.
This cheesy white sauce pasta is a favorite with my kids and I make this with so many different variations. The recipe shared in this post is the basic vegetarian version. Feel free to tweak & add in your favorite veggies, shrimp or chicken.
This recipe just takes about 20 mins and is great to make for a quick weeknight dinner. It makes a meal by itself and doesn’t need anything else on the side.
You can also make the sauce ahead and refrigerate. Then later toss in the cooked pasta when you like to have the dish.
Step-by-step photos
Preparation
1. Add salt to 4 to 5 cups of water and bring it to a rapid boil .
2. Then add pasta. I used organic pasta. Cook as per instructions until done al dente.
3. Drain to a colander and reserve some water.
4. Pour oil to a pan.
5. Saute mixed vegetables until they are slightly tender yet crunchy. Set these aside.
How to make white sauce pasta
6. Add more butter and then saute the garlic for a minute. I did not use garlic. Then add flour. To make white sauce a generous amount of butter is used to dissolve the flour. I had to reduce it due to personal preference.
7. Saute well until the flour loses the raw smell.
8. Lower the flame completely and add ¼ cup milk.
9. Begin to stir with a spatula and dissolve the flour completely without any lumps.
10. Pour the rest of the milk and stir. Do not pour milk at this stage until you break up the lumps of flour and dissolve it completely.
11. Cook this until the sauce slightly thickens.
12. Add cheese if using. Also add pepper and oregano.
13. If needed add salt. Mix well until the cheese blends well. If the bechamel sauce is too thick you can add the reserved pasta cooked water/ stock. Switch off the stove.
14. Add vegetables and pasta to the white sauce.
15. Mix the pasta well. If needed you can add more pasta cooked water to make it creamy.
Garnish white sauce pasta with red chilli flakes and crushed pepper.
Tips to make white sauce pasta
Pasta: You can use any kind of pasta you like like macaroni, fusilli, penne or even spaghetti. Pasta made with any grain also goes well.
Flavoring: I have flavored this white sauce pasta with just some oregano, pepper & red chili flakes. However you can also add Dijon mustard, mixed herbs or garlic for added flavors.
Milk: Full fat milk works well as it adds richness. You can also use any vegan milk. You can also make your own almond milk and use for this recipe. I have shared it in the recipe notes below.
Cream: You can also substitute a portion of the milk with cream if you have. It does make the white sauce pasta rich in taste.
Cheese: Usually cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese or a mix of many kinds of cheese are used to make this bechamel sauce pasta. Use what ever you desire. I have used cream cheese here since I was running out of the others.
For variations use heavy cream or cheddar cheese or cream cheese to suit your taste. There are a lot of options to tweak this basic recipe.
Using full fat milk and cheese or cream are the key to making yummy and delicious white sauce pasta.
You can also use the same recipe to make chicken pasta in white sauce, it turns out good with mustard and lots of black pepper.
More Pasta recipes
Masala pasta
Vegetable pasta in red sauce
Pasta soup
Red sauce pasta
Recipe
White sauce pasta recipe
White sauce pasta (bechamel sauce pasta)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- ¾ cup pasta (penne, macaroni or spaghetti)
- 1¼ cup milk full fat (refer notes)
- ¾ tbsp flour (all-purpose flour (maida) or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 to 4 tbsps Cheese (cheddar, cream cheese or mozarella or a mix)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp oil or butter
- ¼ tsp pepper crushed or ground
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped (optional)
- ½ tsp oregano or italian herbs
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
optional ingredients
- 1 cup Mix veggies (carrots, bell peppers, sweet corn & peas)(optional)
Instructions
Cooking pasta
- Bring 4 to 5 cups water to a boil in a large pot along with salt.
- When the water begins to boil rapidly then add pasta.
- Cook al dente. When done, pasta should be tender yet should get a bite into it (not too soft).
- Drain off to a colander completely reserving 2 to 4 tbsp of water.
- If using veggies, chop them and set aside.
- You can also use frozen mix veggies like carrots, peas and sweet corn.
Making white sauce
- Add 1 tsp oil to a pan and saute vegetables until al dente. Set these aside.
- Set the flame to low. Add rest of the butter to the pan and saute the garlic for a minute if using. Then add flour.
- Saute it in butter until the raw smell goes off. The flour may turn slightly lumpy.
- Just break up the lumps and continue to saute until it no more smells raw.
- Make sure the color of the flour doesn't change.
- Pour ¼ cup of milk. Whisk continuously breaking up the lumps. I used a spatula to break up the flour.
- When you see the flour is well blended with milk, pour rest of the milk and mix well.
- Cook this until the sauce turns slightly thick.
- Add cheese if using and gently stir until the mixture reaches a thick sauce consistency.
- Next add oregano and ground pepper. Switch off the stove.
How to make white sauce pasta
- Add more salt if needed along with veggies & cooked pasta.
- Mix well to coat the pasta with the creamy sauce.
- If the sauce is too thick then, you may add 1 to 2 tbsps of reserved hot pasta cooked water.
- Sprinkle red chili flakes.
- Serve white sauce pasta immediately.
Video
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
- If you do not prefer to use regular dairy milk in this recipe, then soak about 12 to 15 almonds for 2 hours in warm water.
- Remove the skin and blend them with just 1/4 cup water to a smooth paste. Then mix with 1 cup water and make it 1 1/4 cup as needed in the recipe.
- If your blender does not blend almonds well then you may need to filter the milk and use. A mini blender or a bullet works good for this.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Althea Mastriani says
Great recipes. 😋
swasthi says
Thank you
Kavya says
I never knew making this was so easy and when I tried it was just yum. Your blog is one stop shop for whatever I try to cook. For a person like me who always want to stay away from kitchen yet have to cook different dishes, your blog will definitely not make one disappointed. Thank you for your recipes.
swasthi says
Welcome Kavya
Glad to know!
🙂
Faru says
Can we use corn flour or whole wheat flour instead of maida
swasthi says
Hi Faru
Whole wheat flour works but the flavor will be different.
Prapti Arora says
I made it and it was really nice… Thank tou so much mam
swasthi says
Welcome Prapti
Glad to know!
Adrija Roy says
Hi mam your pasta is too delicious I have tried it .Mam instead of butter I can use ghee bcz my child can’t it butter bcz of some problem
swasthi says
Hi Adrija
Thank you! Yes ghee can be used. You can also use olive oil.
MUQADAS says
Thanks dear for sharing recepie.its yummy
swasthi says
You are welcome!
Hetanshi Kapadia says
Your recipes are just amazing I made this pasta on my mom’s birthday and she just started loving it. Thank u so much 👍😁😄😊
swasthi says
Hi Hetanshi,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it!.Thank you.
🙂
Lavanya says
I have been meaning to thank you for a long long time now. I have made this pasta several times and it has always been a delight. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Lavanya,
Glad you liked the white sauce pasta. Thank you so much!
Sheetal says
Wheat flour thicken the sauce too much & taste of wheat flour is not looking good.
swasthi says
Hi Sheetal,
Wheat flour adds a nutty flavor to the white sauce pasta. If you roast it well and add enough cheese it will be fine. I have used all-purpose flour but I don’t think wheat flour thicken the sauce too much. I have mentioned in the recipe to adjust the thickness by adding pasta cooked water.
Hema nandhini Vijaykumar says
Hai tried your macaroni recipe it came out very well.
Thank you so much.
For this white sauce pasta can I add mushrooms instead of vegetables.
swasthi says
Hi Hema
Thanks for trying. Yes you can add only mushrooms.
Radhika Madhav says
After burger this one’s a hit ..thx for a yummy recipe
swasthi says
Ho Radhika,
You are welcome. Thanks for the comment. Glad it turned out good!
Helen says
This turned out to be extremely delicious than what I expected. Will be making it again.
Rama says
So neatly done and explained.I am loving to cook this way
swasthi says
Thanks Rama
Uzair Lokhandwala says
Lovely recipe my friends loved it. You are a saviour
swasthi says
Thanks a lot Uzair Lokhandwala
Thanks for trying
Aanand says
it looks nice,will definitely try it.Thanks for the recipe.
swasthi says
You are welcome Aanand.
Thank you. Yes do try it.
venkat says
instead of butter can we use ghee?
swasthi says
Yes you can use ghee or even oil
Monika says
Hi, can mozzarella cheese be used ? Can you guide which type of cheese go well in which dish. My kids are cheese lovers but i am confused over the type of and form of cheese available in the market. Pl guide
swasthi says
Hi Monika
Yes you can use it. Do not cook after adding it.
For sandwiches – you can use cream cheese, feta cheese or mozarella
For white sauce pasta, you can use cheddar, cream cheese, mozarella
parmesean goes well on spaghetti,
For salads you can use Feta cheese or cream cheese.
for Pizza you can use mozarrella or four cheese.
Not all kinds are vegetarian. If you do not consume products with animal rennet then you need to check the packing.
Hope this helps
Rehma says
This is s first time I ever tried pasta. Luckily every ingredient at home when I wanted to try this . My 4 year old boy saying “ yummy . Thank u mamma it’s so nice.
All credits to you thank u??
swasthi says
Hey Rehma
You are welcome. So happy to read your comment. I know it’s so hard to please the kid.
🙂
Thanks for sharing your joy
bhavika says
easy and delicious.
swasthi says
Thank you
Iti says
Wow… Too easy… But don’t it need any mionees???
swasthi says
Yes its easy. We don’t need mayonnaise
Lincon says
Thanks… nyc guide… ??
Meena says
Yummy turned out too good thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Meena. Thanks for trying