This recipe for creamy Boursin pasta with fettuccine is comforting, cozy, and a little bit decadent. With just five ingredients total, it’s a quick side dish or vegetarian meal that’s easy and delicious.
My Inspiration for Boursin Pasta
I’m currently flying back from London which was a last-minute getaway for me and Casey. This trip was booked on a whim with miles and points when I originally got the news I was losing our 3rd baby. I just had to get away.
We’ve always put traveling at the top of the list of things we find important and between managing vestibular migraine and going through infertility treatments, it’s been difficult to try to fit it in the past few years. I regularly get messages about how I do it and how I got over that fear of flying again since it’s so triggering for many with vestibular disorders. The truth is that I’m always scared to fly, but this illness has taken a lot from me – one big thing was my career in watch development. Because of this, I try to not let it become something that rules my life…even if I do have to take extra precautions for it. Some trips are better than others and I have a set of tips that I follow, but I find that the more I did it the easier it became.
My friend Ellen, who I grew up with, moved to London over 8 years ago after she met her husband Tom on a study abroad tour. How romantic, right? I’ve been wanting to visit her for ages. With the last minute nature of this trip and also just looking for some time to relax, we decided this was the perfect time. Ellen suggested we spend a few days in the Cotswolds before making our way to London, saying I would feel just like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday. That was enough to sell me!
Boursin Pasta aka “Christmas Fettuccine”
There are two parts of The Holiday that really stand out to me – the first being how much Cameron Diaz probably spent on all her last minute flights when she keeps changing her mind to stay another day. And she’s flying first class too! I mean, come on. That’s just not economical.
The next is the idea of Christmas fettuccine. In one scene you see Jack Black and Kate Winslet sharing their heartbreak stories when Kate exclaims they’ll make some “Christmas fettuccine” and watch movies. Then the following scene you see Cameron Diaz with a giant bowl of creamy pasta after she proclaims earlier she wishes she could eat carbs without wanting to kill herself.
That last part really struck a chord with me. Sometimes in life, there’s just a need for a really good, creamy pasta. One with lots of butter and cheese. And there’s no reason you should have to avoid that even on a migraine diet!
Aged Cheese and Migraines
So why Boursin Pasta? Traditional fettuccine alfredo is made with butter, cream, and lots of parmesan cheese. Unfortunately for anyone with migraine, aged cheese is an incredibly common trigger. Parmesan cheese is one of the worst since it’s usually aged for a year or more.
What do we know about aged cheese and migraine attacks? Most likely the trigger is due to the high amount of tyramine and histamine, which are biogenic amines that increase as food ages or occur in fermented foods. Romano, parmesan, gruyere, and many others that are aged more than 2 months or so fall into this category.
There are a few fresh cheeses which many find they’re able to tolerate quite well if no dairy sensitivity is present. Boursin garlic and herb cheese is one of these, and I really love it in a lot of my recipes, like this Best Sandwich Ever and this Boursin Broccoli Casserole.
How to Make Creamy Boursin Pasta
The awesome part about this creamy fettuccine is it’s a 5 ingredient pasta! For this recipe I like to start with a really good pasta, usually all semolina flour, and ones that you can find freshly made. This isn’t totally necessary, but it does elevate the dish. Obviously if gluten is an issue for you, you can use your favorite gluten free pasta.
The rest of the ingredients are really easy, I just recommend getting the best possible ingredients you can. I like to use Kerrygold butter, which is MSG-free, and a heavy cream without carrageenan or additives. Heavy cream can be tough to find without carrageenan, but Organic Valley has some, as well as some local brands. A friend of mine recently found a great one at her local Trader Joe’s!
It’s important to not try to substitute out the heavy cream for half and half or milk in this recipe. I know, I like saving calories too, but it just won’t turn out as good. It also won’t have the same decadent thickness to it.
I feel like when you make this recipe for Boursin pasta, you really have to let go and pretend that you’re in The Holiday, eating all the carbs and enjoying your vacation to it’s fullest…even if it’s just in your own living room. You can also pretend you have a hot date with Jude Law. Totally acceptable.
Can’t Handle the Carbs?
If you’re looking for a lower carb recipe that’s similar to this creamy Boursin pasta, check out my Cauliflower Mac & Cheese recipe.
This recipe for Creamy Boursin Fettuccine is made with just 5 simple ingredients, yet flavorful, cozy, and decadent. The perfect side dish or vegetarian main dish for a delicious meal that can also be gluten free. Serves 2-3 as a main dish and 4 as a side.
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
- kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
- fresh Italian parsley for garnish
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Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Keep about a cup of pasta water just in case you need to thin out the sauce later. Meanwhile melt butter in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for a minute or two until fragrant, but not brown. Add heavy cream and bring the sauce to a simmer, about 5-7 minutes, until nice and thick. The spoon should leave a line/trail as you run it through the sauce.
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Turn the heat to low and add Boursin cheese, stirring until melted and fully incorporated. Taste the sauce and add any kosher salt or fresh black pepper as needed. Add drained pasta and toss everything to combine. Top with parsley for garnish
- Use your favorite gluten free pasta to make this GF friendly
- If the sauce is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of pasta water after adding the Boursin cheese until desired consistency is reached.
- I used Kerrygold unsalted butter and Organic Valley Heavy Cream (any heavy cream without carrageenan is ok).
This sounds delicious! I saw that HYH says ultra pasteurized is a potential source of MSG, but all the cream at the store is ultra pasteurized. Do you use a special brand of cream or do you not have an issue with the ultra pasteurized? Thanks!
They’re are a few brands out there, you just have to hunt for them a bit. Mill King is one of them – https://centralmarket.com/product/mill-king-heavy-whipping-cream16-oz/
But remember that the list in the book is just “potential sources” so it may not be an issue for you. I find most people aren’t bothered by ultra pasteurized milk. This could be one of the areas the book is a little old on. 🙂
Thanks again for posting another delicious recipe. I did add a little broccoli to give it a little crunch.
An awesome addition!
Thanks, Alicia! That’s good to know. 🙂
So good! My husband and I devoured it!
Thanks, Kaitlyn! So glad he loved it!
So creamy and flavorful! Easy to make for either a single person or to feed a whole family! Perfect comfort food!
Hi Alicia,
I’ve come to the conclusion that pasta seems to be the quickest and safest meal for me on busy days. Are there any types of pasta to stay away from?
Not really! Most pastas are safe except for the Banza chickpea pasta or anything with “protein” in it.
That’s interesting–no Banza. Chickpeas aren’t listed as a trigger in general so I wonder why this type of pasta isn’t good. Also, can oat milk be subbed for the heavy cream. Avoiding migraines are important but I also need to watch carbs and cholesterol.
It contains pea protein which is why it’s not allowed on the diet. There are other chickpea pastas with fewer additives like Olo. You can definitely sub oat milk but the texture and flavor won’t be the same. I have a lot of other recipes besides this one which are not as carb heavy if you check out my paleo area. This is definitely meant for an indulgent and cozy night.
Thank you! I never heard of OLO but I’ll look online for it.
What do you mean that Banza chickpea pasta isn’t safe?
See the reply above. It contains pea protein which can be a trigger.
This is a great recipe but I felt it needed a bit more so I added broccoli and some chunks of boneless chicken breast. Kids love it!
Another winner! Quick, easy, and delicious. I added a bag of pre-washed spinach to get a vegetable included without making anymore dirty dishes.
My favorite ever!!!!!
It was really good!! I added some pasta water to the sauce (a little too much cause I made it too runny) but it was still delicious!
The perfect comfort food and replacement for traditional Alfredo with Parmesan. It was delicious with a side of cooked broccoli. Thanks for a quick, easy dinner.
OMG BEST PASTA EVER. I thought I would miss parmesan but i didn’t at all. Thank you
Really, really good! Tastes so decadent. I add plain rotisserie chicken to this recipe and it’s amazing! I rarely have cream on hand and I’ve found that this recipe is just as good without it!
Finally made this week and it did not disappoint. Can’t wait to make again
Do I have to put heavy cream in it? can skip that? Use something lighter?
I have made this before using 1 cup of vegetable broth and 1/4 cup of cream. It is NOT the same recipe and not quite as thick and decadent, but it will be lighter as you say.
I think I will do that, I have chicken stock instead that should be ok to use? I was going to add broccoli and cooked chicken at the end. I bought the boursin garlic and herb cheese spread for thanksgiving and never used it. I wanted to do something with it. Your recipe sounds fabulous! But I wanted to watch the calories!. Thank you, and happy holidays 🙂
Amazing and very easy to make! I ready the ingredients while the water boils and cook the sauce while the pasta is cooking and they’re both done at the same time. Fast and easy.
This one is so delicious, and extremely versatile!! You can eat it plain as shown (which is fabulous), or mix in any variety of protein and/or veggies to customize!! So decadent and yummy! Definitely a comfort food, and great if you’re missing traditional cheesy pasta like Alfredo!