Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe [easy, no cream, no butter] (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of cream for creamy pasta? ›

Soft cheese, such as cream cheese, can be used as alternative too – it's richer than the cream, so 100g/3½oz should be plenty, along with an extra splash of water. If you have any fresh herbs to hand, such as parsley, basil or dill, finely chop and add to the sauce at the same time as the pasta.

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Thanks to all of its wonderful qualities, butter is the perfect addition to any pasta sauce, especially as a replacement for cream. The reason is that the fat in butter helps to calm the acidity of tomatoes, onions, and any other ingredients you've added.

Similarly to half-and-half, milk makes a good heavy cream substitute when it's combined with melted butter. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter for every cup of heavy cream.

Assuming you mean the use of milk in a pasta sauce, yes, you can use milk instead of heavy cream, but there are some considerations before making that choice.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Milk + cornstarch

To replace one cup of heavy cream, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 1 cup milk, whisking well to break up any clumps. Cornstarch requires heat to thicken, so add the slurry to soups and sauces and simmer for at least 1 minute to activate the cornstarch.

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

Can I use butter and milk instead of cream? ›

As it turns out, you can use a combination of milk and butter as a pretty effective substitute. You're going to need ¼ cup of melted unsalted butter. Slowly and thoroughly mix in ¾ cup milk, et voilà—you'll have the equivalent of one cup of heavy cream.

You can add some cream, cheese and also a little boiled water in which the pasta was cooked. Adding all these elements will give your pasta sauce a thick and creamy structure.

If you want to make a restaurant-worthy pasta sauce, the secret is butter. Whether you're whipping up a creamy Alfredo or a red tomato gravy, a little bit of the churned dairy product goes a long way toward making your sauce lusciously delectable.

One of the easiest ways to substitute heavy cream in Alfredo sauce is to use a thickener + milk. We chose corn starch + milk because it gives that same creamy texture without the fattiness that heavy cream brings. The corn starch also allows you to thicken your Alfredo sauce recipe with milk and no flour.

If you have butter and milk (whole milk or even half-and-half work best), you can make your own heavy cream substitute. To make 1 cup of heavy cream, melt 1/4 cup of butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup milk. This works for most baking or cooking recipes that require heavy cream, but it will not whisk into stiff peaks.

Sour cream is an easy replacement for heavy cream. It can be easily stirred into a dish and offers another flavor profile to soups, stews and sauces. Plus, using it as a heavy cream substitute is a great way to use up that lingering tub in the fridge.