Creamy Milk Pasta One-Pot (Printable)

A cozy one-pot pasta dish where short pasta cooks directly in milk, creating a naturally creamy sauce with minimal effort.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Dairy

02 - 4 cups whole milk
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
04 - 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Aromatics & Seasoning

05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
10 - Extra Parmesan, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
02 - Pour in the milk and bring just to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
03 - Add the pasta, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (if using). Stir well to prevent sticking.
04 - Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 12–15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and most of the milk has thickened into a creamy sauce. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add a splash more milk as needed.
05 - Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce is silky. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Remove from heat. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire dish comes together in one pot, which means fewer dishes to wrestle with at the end of the day.
  • There's genuine comfort in how the milk naturally becomes a silky sauce without any cream or heavy ingredients.
  • It's deceptively elegant, so you can serve it to guests without revealing how little effort it actually took.
02 -
  • Stir constantly once the pasta goes in, or it will sink to the bottom and stick stubbornly to the pan, creating burnt spots that won't improve the flavor.
  • The sauce will continue to thicken slightly after you remove it from heat, so don't panic if it looks a touch loose at the end; it'll set up perfectly.
03 -
  • If you want to add richness at the very end, stir in a tablespoon or two of mascarpone or cream cheese after removing from heat, stirring until completely melted and silky.
  • Keep a ladle of warm milk nearby as you cook in case the sauce thickens faster than the pasta finishes; a small splash adjusts everything instantly.
Go back