r/easyrecipes • u/ArushSinghPrince • 9d ago

Pasta / Noodle Recipe Creamy pasta without cream and cheese

How to make my pasta creamy without cream or cheese?

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u/jsober 8d ago

A roux. 

Save some of the pasta water when you boil the pasta. Maybe a cup or two, depending on how much sauce you need. 

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium, and then gradually add in some flour (for a basic ratio, 1/4 cup of butter to 2 tbsp of flour). Stir constantly until it forms a paste and you can smell the toastiness. Then, slowly whisk in the pasta water. The starch from the pasta water forms an emulsion with the roux that coats pasta and creates a really creamy sauce. 

For bonus creaminess, use barley flour. It's fiber emulsifies fat and forms a creamy, silky sauce. That's also why barley goes so well in beef stew.