Try serving this with a hearty protein like these Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts, these Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts or a side of these homemade meatballs. I love a super hearty pasta dish like my Turkey Kielbasa Pasta Bake or my One-Pot BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pasta, but I also love a simple pasta dish with minimal ingredients that really lets just a few incredible flavors shine through. Take this Creamy Cavatappi Pasta — this recipe is about as simple as it gets and makes the best light main dish or decadent side dish. It’s made with cavatappi pasta, salty bacon, and rich sun dried tomatoes all tossed in the perfect delicate yet rich and flavorful cream sauce. This Creamy Tomato Rigatoni Pasta, Buttered Noodles, Creamy Gemelli Pasta and this Feta Pasta with Dill are some more of our simple favorites!
Ingredients Needed:
Cavatappi Pasta: look for the hollow, corkskrew shaped pasta with ridges (of course, you can use any pasta shape you like for this recipe). Bacon: you’ll need 2 slices of thick-cut, chopped bacon. You could also use turkey bacon (add some oil to saute) or one or two Italian sausages without the casings would work well. Sun Dried Tomatoes: drained and chopped to add texture and richness. Garlic: use freshly minced garlic for the most authentic flavor. Seasonings: we’re keeping it super simple with Italian seasoning, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Heavy Whipping Cream: a little heavy whipping cream goes a long way to make the decadent cream sauce. Reserved Pasta Water: helps thicken the sauce and allows everything to come together. Fresh Parsley: I love to finish each plate of pasta off with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
How to Make Creamy Cavatappi Pasta
This Creamy Cavatappi Pasta is the best side dish or entree that takes just 5 minutes to prep!
Tips and Notes
Reserve the pasta water. The starchy water makes the sauce creamy and silky and helps everything come together. I recommend reserving at least 1 cup, then adding little bits at a time to the pasta until the texture is just right. Prefer a thicker sauce? This recipe is a thin, creamy sauce that’s loaded up with flavor. If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour after the spices, then add 1 cup of chicken or veggie broth in addition to the cream. Simmer until thickened. Serve right away. You can absolutely store leftovers, but the texture of the sauce is definitely best right away.
Variations
Add more veggies. Feel free to sauté a few veggies in the skillet before combining everything to make this dish into a more well-rounded meal. Try it with broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, onion, asparagus, you name it. Another option is to mix pre-cooked veggies in after you combine the rest. In this case, Air Fryer Broccoli would be perfect! Make it cheesy. Add a handful of parmesan cheese for a thicker, cheesier sauce. If you plan to do this, reduce the salt. Add a protein. Bulk your meal up by stirring in pre-cooked chicken or sausage. Use another pasta. Look for pasta with ridges so the sauce has something to adhere to. Fusilli, penne, rigatoni, or even farfalle would all be great options!
Serving Suggestions
Creamy Cavatappi Pasta makes a delicious lighter main dish or the perfect simple side dish! If I’m serving it as a main dish, I love to serve it next to Air Fryer Broccoli or Roasted Green Beans. If I’m serving it as a main dish, I love it next to Creamy Garlic Chicken or Air Fryer Pork Chops.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Creamy Tomato Rigatoni Pasta
Feta Pasta with Dill
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Creamy Cheese Tortellini
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