White Sauce Pasta is a delicious Italian pasta made with creamy white sauce (Béchamel sauce), garlic & Italian herbs seasoning. Making the best Italian restaurant style white sauce pasta with a flavor of butter-tossed garlic. It is one of the easy recipes of pasta made with boiled pasta (used penne pasta) cooked in deliciously creamy milk-based white sauce, seasoned with butter tossed garlic and mixed Italian herbs, and garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Best to serve this dish at dinner with butter tossed garlic bread and a drink.
About White Sauce Pasta
White sauce pasta is made with boiled pasta cooked in a creamy white sauce (Béchamel sauce) with garlic & Italian herbs seasoning.
- Which pasta is best for cooking this pasta recipe – For making this pasta dish, I used durum wheat penne pasta. Though you can use pasta from any variety like macaroni, farfalle, fusilli, conchiglie, orWhite sauce pasta is a delicious Italian pasta recipe made with boiled pasta cooked in a milk-based creamy white sauce (called béchamel sauce) with garlic & Italian herbs seasoning.spaghetti. Even you can use whole wheat penne pasta (prepared with atta) instead of all-purpose flour pasta (pasta made with maida).
- Different ways of making white sauce aka béchamel sauce – White sauce is made in a traditional way by tossing all-purpose flour or maida in butter and continuously mixing up with chilled milk to make a silky smooth creamy lump-free sauce, flavored with nutmeg powder, and seasoned with salt & white pepper. Though you may replace maida with whole wheat flour or atta too. That does not change the taste for sure. This Italian white sauce is also known as béchamel sauce in France. So if have seen pasta with béchamel sauce on a restaurant’s menu surely go for it as it is none other than white sauce pasta.
- Best used Italian herbs – Italian recipes are incomplete without herbs and pasta(whether made with white sauce or red sauce) is one of them. So to get an authentic Italian taste, oregano, basil, and parsley are the most common ingredients used in this pasta. Though don’t need to use them separately. You can easily get these three herbs together in a single mixed herbs seasoning container. Comes in different brands, in the Indian market, Keya is a popular brand name for this Italian herbs and seasoning. I use this too.
- Garlic enhances the taste of pasta– Butter-tossed chopped garlic is used in this recipe as the seasoning of this white sauce pasta to make it scrumptious and flavourful. Basically, in authentic pasta recipes, garlic is directly used for making the white sauce. So you can do the same instead of making this homemade garlic seasoning.
- Smart Tips to use seasoning– You can use store-bought garlic flakes or store domino’s extra seasoning(which comes with their pizza). That is simply the best idea as the packet contains roasted mixed herbs and garlic seasoning.
- Which cheese is best for this pasta – Parmesan cheese is the best cheese used in authentic pasta. Though quite expensive but don’t use mozzarella cheese that is only dedicated to pizza, not pasta. That makes your pasta chewy and sticky at the same time, especially If you serve it cold. Instead of Parmesan cheese, you can use Amul or Go cheese cubes or cheese slices grated or chopping manner.
- Use of veggies & how to use – Here I have not used any veggies except for black olives, but you can add any veggies as per choice. Especially if your kids do not eat vegetables but are fond of pasta and can have any vegetables with it. Then you can use little-boiled corn, fresh capsicum, or carrots(finely chopped) to it. Even boiled and little tossed small broccoli or cauliflower florets too.
The best way to make this pasta healthy
- To make it healthy, while making the pasta sauce, replace all-purpose flour or maida with whole wheat flour.
- You can use whole wheat pasta as well.
- Even you can use low-fat milk or skimmed milk in the sauce.
- Even can replace the butter with margarine or white oil.
- To make it healthy follow my advice on substitutes, use lots of veggies, and avoid using cheese.
How to make this pasta for school tiffin
Pasta is very popular among kids as my kid is a huge fan of this white sauce pasta. I often prepare this dish at home for his tiffin. It is a very good tiffin idea for school-going kids.
- Just boiled all the veggies and pasta last night and also make all the seasoning ready ( or use ready-made seasonings).
- Make the sauce in the morning when preparing the tiffin.
- Then toss the boiled pasta & veggies in the sauce.
- Lastly, sprinkle the seasoning and turn off the heat.
Not only for kids but for preparing delicious and quick dinner ideas, pasta works great among all other recipes.
You may check some Italian recipes on my website
- Mini pizza recipe
- Red sauce pasta
- Stuffed Garlic Bread recipe
- Dominos Style Veg pizza recipe
- Chicken pizza recipe
Try this creamy white sauce pasta at home and share your valuable feedback with me by writing your comment in the comment section below.
How To Make White Sauce Pasta recipe
Make pasta seasoning
For making authentic Italian-style pasta, garlic- herbs seasoning(described below) is one of the very important ingredients.
- Heat a pan, keep the flame at low and add 1/2 tsp butter to it.
- Then add 1 tsp finely chopped garlic to it and stir it until it gets light golden brown color.
- Next add 1/2 tsp parsley (finely chopped if fresh), 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp basil to it. Or you can use 1+1/2 tsp dry mixed herbs.
- Then fry it until the garlic gets a nice golden brown color and gets crisp along with the herbs. As shown in the pic.
- Lastly, remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Even you can crush the seasoning before adding it to the pasta.
Boil the pasta
- First, take a pan with 3 cups of water((≈ 710 ml) and place it on a high flame.
- Then add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp oil ( any vegetable oil / olive oil) to the water and bring it to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, add 1 cup of pasta ( penne / macaroni / any pasta)to it.
- Cook al dente ( means pasta is perfectly boiled but still firm not too soft).
- Stir it occasionally till 5 minutes, after 5 mins, check whether the pasta is perfectly boiled or not.
- Then remove one pasta from the pan and cut it with a spoon or fork. If cooked al dente, can easily cut the pasta with spoon or fork.
- For me, it takes about 10 mins to cook. Boil it until you can easily cut the pasta as shown in the pic.
- Then immediately remove it from the heat and strain the water from it. As shown in the pic.
Making creamy white sauce (béchamel sauce)
- Take a pan, place it on low flame, add 2 tbsp butter to it, and let the butter melt.
- When butter completely melts down, add 1+1/2 tbsp maida or all-purpose flour to it.
- Then stir it continuously so that no single lump can’t be formed. Stir it until the butter-flour mix gets a light golden brown color.
- Now add 1/2 cup(≈119 ml) of cold milk(cold milk prevents it from making a lump) to it.
- Stir it continuously to make the sauce lump free. Even you can use a whisker to stir it in a better way.
- The milk should be nicely mixed with the butter-flour mix without making a single lump.
- Then gradually add the rest of 1 cup of milk(≈237 ml) into two batches. The addition of milk in 2-3 batches will help to make a smooth, creamy, lump-free white sauce.
- Then add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder, and 1/2 tsp crushed white pepper(can use black pepper too) to it. Mix it nicely.
- Creamy lump-free white sauce aka béchamel sauce is ready to prepare pasta. This sauce will be a little thick as shown in the pic.
Toss the pasta in white sauce
- Once the white sauce is ready, add the boiled pasta to it and mix it nicely.
- Now add the garlic-herbs seasoning from the top and mix it nicely with the pasta.
- Then add 4-5 sliced black olives and lastly add 1/2 tsp of chili flakes(optional) to it, mix it nicely.
- Now, cook it for 2-3 mins on a low flame and switch off the flame.
- Then immediately add 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese(optional). Stir it once to mix it.
- Italian restaurant-style garlic-flavored white sauce pasta is ready. Serve it hot and relish it with a drink.
White Sauce Pasta recipe | Italian style pasta in white sauce gravy
Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes20
minutes300
kcal25
minutesWhite Sauce Pasta is a delicious Italian pasta recipe made with creamy white sauce (Béchamel sauce), garlic & Italian herbs seasoning. Best to serve at dinner with butter tossed garlic bread and a drink.
Ingredients
- For boiling pasta
1 cup Penne pasta/macaroni/spagettti
1/2 tsp Olive oil(or vegetable oil)
1/2 tsp Salt
3 cups of Water
- For making white sauce/Béchamel sauce
2 tbsp Butter
1+1/2 tbsp Maida or All-purpose flour
1+1/2 cup Whole Milk
1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp Crushed White pepper
1/2 tsp Salt(as per taste)
- Ingredients for seasoning
1 tsp Garlic(finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Parsley(finely chopped if fresh)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Butter
- For garnishing
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese(grated)
4-5 Black olives(cut into slices)
1/2 tsp Chili flakes
Instruction
- Make pasta seasoning
- For making this pasta seasoning, heat a pan, keep the flame at low and add 1/2 tsp butter to it.
- Then add 1 tsp finely chopped garlic to it and stir it until it gets light golden brown color.
- Next add 1/2 tsp parsley (finely chopped if fresh), 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp basil to it. Or you can use 1+1/2 tsp dry mixed herbs.
- Then fry it until the garlic gets a nice golden brown color and gets crisp along with the herbs.
- Lastly, remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Even you can crush the seasoning before adding it to the pasta.
- Boil the pasta
- First, take a pan with 3 cups of water (≈ 710 ml) and place it on a high flame.
- Then add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp oil (any vegetable oil/olive oil) to the water and bring it to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, add 1 cup of pasta (penne / macaroni / any pasta) to it.
- Cook al dente (means pasta is perfectly boiled but still firm not too soft).
- Stir it occasionally till 5 minutes, after 5 mins, check whether the pasta is perfectly boiled or not.
- Then remove one pasta from the pan and cut it with a spoon or fork. If cooked al dente, you can easily cut with the spoon or fork .
- For me, it takes about 10 mins to cook. Boil it until you can easily cut the pasta.
- Then immediately remove it from the heat and strain the water from it.
- Making creamy white sauce (béchamel sauce)
- Take a pan, place it on low flame, add 2 tbsp butter to it, and let the butter melt.
- When butter completely melts down, add 1+1/2 tbsp maida or all-purpose flour to it.
- Then stir it continuously so that no single lump can’t be formed. Stir it until the butter-flour mix gets a light golden brown color.
- Now add 1/2 cup (≈119 ml) of cold milk (cold milk prevents it from making a lump) to it.
- Stir it continuously to make the sauce lump free. Even you can use a whisker to stir it in a better way.
- The milk should be nicely mixed with the butter-flour mix without making a single lump.
- Then gradually add the rest of 1 cup of milk(≈237 ml) into two batches. The addition of milk in 2-3 batches will help to make a smooth, creamy, lump-free white sauce.
- Then add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder, and 1/2 tsp crushed white pepper(can use black pepper too) to it. Mix it nicely.
- Creamy lump-free white sauce aka béchamel sauce is ready to prepare pasta. This sauce will be a little thick as shown in the above pic.
- Cook pasta in white sauce
- Once the white sauce is ready, add the boiled pasta to it and mix it nicely.
- Now add the pasta seasoning from the top and mix it nicely with the pasta.
- Then add 4-5 sliced black olives and lastly add 1/2 tsp of chili flakes(optional) to it, mix it nicely.
- Now, cook it for 2-3 mins on a low flame and switch off the flame.
- Then immediately add 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese(optional). Stir it once to mix it.
- Italian restaurant style garlic-flavored white sauce pasta is ready. Serve it hot and relish it with butter tossed garlic bread and a drink.
Important tips about this recipe
- Pasta cooking tips– You can use any type of pasta, but remember to cook it al dente ( perfectly cooked but remains firm, need to cut or bite with your teeth). Means don’t make it too soft that pasta started broken after boiling. So that, while you toss the pasta in the sauce, it might get broken into pieces or mashed in the pasta sauce.
- Milk-related tips- Always use cold milk. Use cold milk or the milk straight from the refrigerator to prevent forming lumps. After adding cold milk quick stir or whisk is essential to prevent forming lumps. Hot milk or milk at room temperature can create a lump, if adding hot milk, continuous stirring can only make a silky smooth white sauce.
- Do not make the sauce thick– Don’t allow the white sauce to be thicker, that might get it dry and sticky once cooling down.
- Don’t add cheese, if eat cold – Don’t use cheese if you pack it as a kids’ tiffin. As the cheese will make it dry and sticky when it releases the heat.
- Mayonnaise makes the sauce tasty– You can use 2 tbsp mayonnaise while making the white sauce. Mayonnaise indeed enhance the taste of pasta.
- Fresh cream makes it creamy– Fresh cream is not required if using both milk and mayonnaise. However, you can use 2-3 tbsp fresh cream to make it more creamy but fresh cream makes it sweeter as well.
- For chicken add-on – Boiled chicken cubes or shredded chicken (≈ 100g) can be added for 2 mins cooking in the white sauce before adding with pasta. Even before adding in sauce, chicken (must be boiled chicken) can be tossed for 1-2 mins in 3 tsp butter with 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper & 3/4 tsp chili flakes.
- For prawn add-on – Toss the prawn (≈100g) in 3 tsp butter with 1/2 tsp little salt & 1 tsp pepper, cook it for 2 mins in white sauce, then add the pasta to the sauce.






This one is just too good….very vividly explained with pics…..will definitely give this one a try….Darun !!
Thank u Priyanka…..glad to know u love this recipe…try it and please let me your valuable feedback.
The step by step instructions with photos are so helpful. Impressive presentation.