Pasta Bianca with Arugula

This easy Pasta Bianca (white pasta) is a weeknight hero, made with pantry staples and ingredients you probably already have on hand. I love this cheats’ cream sauce that uses a little butter, cream cheese, and broth to deliver loads of flavour without requiring a pound of cheese or heavy cream. It’s deliciously creamy and comforting with a peppery bite from the fresh arugula and a hint of tang from the cream cheese. Try it tonight, or the next time you need a quick weeknight meal that’s ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients you’ll need for pasta bianca

• Pasta: I recommend rigatoni; it provides the right pasta-to-sauce ratio. But, you can use whatever pasta you have on hand, like penne, fettuccini, linguini, or even spaghetti.
• Cream cheese: One block of softened cream cheese forms the tangy, creamy base for this sauce. Cutting the cream cheese into cubes before adding it to the pan will help it melt faster, but you can skip this step and just break it up in the pan if you prefer.
• Butter: A little butter smooths out the cream cheese.
• Broth: I like vegetable broth for this, but you could use chicken or mushroom broth instead.
• Parmesan: A little fresh grated parmesan is added to the sauce. And for topping each plate, because who doesn’t like a little extra parm.
• Arugula: A handful of fresh arugula adds a peppery flavour that really compliments the thick cream sauce.
• Garlic: Both fresh minced garlic and garlic powder, for depth and brightness.
• Herbs: Fresh parsley along with dried oregano and dried basil add that classic Italian herb flavour. You could also use Italian seasoning in place of the dried oregano and basil. And dried parsley can be used if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand.
• Pepper: Red pepper flakes and fresh cracked pepper add a hint of heat and extra peppery crunch.

How to make pasta bianca

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until al dente, about 13-15 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cream cheese and stir to incorporate as it melts. Then add in the fresh minced garlic, garlic powder, dried herbs, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking often, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and reserve a bit of the cooking liquid (to loosen the sauce if needed). Add freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley to the sauce and stir to combine. Add in the pasta and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick and isn’t evenly coating the pasta, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen it up.

Top with arugula and stir briefly to incorporate. Serve topped with an extra dusting of parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Variations and substitutions

• Substitute spinach for arugula. If you want to skip the arugula and still add some greens, spinach is a great substitute. Just add it as you would the arugula and serve immediately. Since spinach lacks the pepperiness of arugula, you may want to add a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce to add a little extra spice and warmth.
• Add peas and bacon. Before making the sauce (or in a separate skillet), cook bacon (about 4 strips, chopped) until browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and optionally drain off the rendered fat or use it in place of 1-2 tablespoons butter in the sauce. Add 1 cup of peas (fresh or thawed) to the sauce with the garlic and herbs. Stir in the cooked bacon along with the pasta or sprinkle it over top while serving.
• Make a mushroom cream sauce. Before adding the cream cheese to the pan, sauté 2 cups of sliced mushrooms in butter. For added mushroom flavour, use mushroom broth instead of vegetable or chicken broth. If you have a sprig of fresh rosemary, chop that up nice and fine and throw it in the cream sauce along with the garlic in place of the Italian herbs and parsley.

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