This creamy mascarpone pasta is silky smooth with an easy mascarpone sauce that's incredibly easy to make. Using pasta water and broth mixed with the mascarpone allows the flavors of the cheese to really shine and creates a simple pasta sauce.
Garlic and shallots add flavor, as well as freshly cracked pepper. The whole meal is similar to a Cacio e Pepe without pecorino. It's all ready in under 30 minutes!
Mascarpone pasta pairs incredibly well with seared fish, roasted chicken, or an arugula salad. If you love my Boursin Pasta or Mozzarella Alfredo, this will be a new favorite!
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Pasta with Mascarpone Cheese
I've been testing out new ways to make pasta favorites without aged cheese and I love mascarpone for a multitude of reasons. What is mascarpone cheese? Originating in Italy, it's made from heavy cream which gives it a luscious flavor and texture compared to cream cheese. Because of it's higher fat content, it makes an amazing addition to pasta for a really thick sauce without using actual heavy cream.
You'll love this pasta with mascarpone because:
- Easy - With minimal ingredients, it's very simple to make for a quick dinner or side dish.
- Super creamy - Mascarpone makes this pasta extremely thick and creamy!
- No aged cheese - I love a simple pasta that doesn't use parmesan and they're really hard to find.
Ingredients
- Mascarpone cheese - BelGioso and Vermont Creamery are my two favorites. You want ones with very minimal ingredients for the best taste and texture. Most should just have cream/milk and some kind of acid. You can even make your own.
- Garlic and shallots - These both provide a good base of flavor for the pasta. Shallots are a lot lighter in flavor than onion so they don't overpower the mascarpone sauce.
- Broth - I like to use a good quality vegetable or chicken broth here to bump up the flavor as well. For vegetable broth, I like Trader Joe's Hearty Vegetable.
- Linguine or fettuccine - Any pasta will work at the end of the day, but these are my two favorites.
- Freshly cracked black pepper - If you love a good cacio e pepe, this is my recreation without the pecorino. But it requires a good amount of fresh black pepper!
How to Make Mascarpone Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside at least 1 cup of pasta water to make the sauce.
Step 2: Make the mascarpone sauce. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat, then add garlic and shallots, stirring often for 1-2 minutes till fragrant and softened. You don't want the garlic to burn or brown. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium high heat - reducing till about ⅓ cup is left. Add in ⅓ cup of reserved pasta water and cooked pasta, using tongs to toss with the shallots and garlic. Then turn the heat to low and add in the mascarpone cheese, continuing to toss the pasta till it is fully incorporated.
Step 3: Season the pasta. Add in more pasta water if needed to thin the sauce, then taste. Add any salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.
Recipe Edits
- Gluten free - Use gluten free pasta, like Jovial.
- Low sodium - This recipe is naturally very low sodium! Use a broth without added sodium or homemade where you can adjust it.
- Pink sauce - Add around ¼-1/2 cup of your favorite marinara, like Rao's Sensitive or Cucina Antica Marinara.
- Add a protein - This recipe would be amazing with grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon on top.
- Add veggies - Stir in small, steamed broccoli florets, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, kale, tomatoes, or zucchini.
Serving Suggestions
Delicious on its own, you'll also love this mascarpone pasta topped with a protein or with a simple side salad. Here are a few suggestions.
Storage Information
Refrigerator - This mascarpone pasta will store well for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. To re-heat, microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. You may need to add a little bit of reserved pasta water or milk to make the sauce really creamy again. This can also reheated in a pan over medium low heat, stirring often.
Freezer - This recipe also freezes well, but I recommend making it more into a casserole if your intent is to freeze. It can reheat in the oven, covered, at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally as it reheats.
Recipe Questions
A lot of people would probably think to substitute cream cheese for mascarpone, and you can, but I'd actually recommend a good quality, whole milk fine ricotta cheese. If you've never had this type, it's super creamy and similar in texture and taste. BelGiosio and Calabro are two favorites.
Any pasta with mascarpone would pair very well with spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli and mushrooms. I wouldn't recommend adding a lot of herbs to it, just parsley at the most.
Yes! I wanted to make a creamy pasta without aged cheese and mascarpone is a fresh, un-aged cheese. It's also low in sodium so this would be a great recipe for someone with Meniere's or even for a low sodium baby pasta.
Simple Pasta Recipes
For more simple pasta recipes like this mascarpone pasta, you'll love these posts.
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Mascarpone Pasta
Ingredients
- 11-12 oz dried linguine or spaghetti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 shallot, chopped small (about ¼ cup)
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup pasta water *reserve about 1 cup total
- 6-8 oz mascarpone cheese
- ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- kosher salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat, and add about 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt to salt it. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions then drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat, then add garlic and shallots, stirring often for about 1-2 minutes till fragrant and softened. Add vegetable broth, bringing to a simmer until it is reduced to about ⅓ cup of liquid.
- Add in pasta water and cooked pasta, using tongs to toss with the shallots and garlic until well-coated. Turn the heat to low and add in mascarpone cheese, continuing to toss the pasta till it gets fully incorporated and very creamy. Add in more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Stir in fresh black pepper and adjust any seasonings to taste.
Notes
- This recipe is made with a lot of fresh black pepper similar to a Cacio e Pepe, but it can be decreased to adjust to your taste if you want a more plain, creamy pasta.
- Use a good quality mascarpone cheese like BelGiosio or Vermont Creamery, which will make a difference in taste and texture.
- A serving size for pasta is typically about 2oz. This is calculated for 3oz as a main dish, but would need to be paired with a protein and/or side salad for a complete meal.
- For gluten free, use a favorite gluten free pasta. For low sodium, omit added salt for pasta water.
Anonymous says
I love this recipe, it is simple yet flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it!
Katie says
I've been trying to make 1 meal a week for my husband and I instead of eating convenience foods. We usually get two nights of meals when I cook. Tonight's effort: Mascarpone Linguine (subbed in ricotta). It was super easy, especially coming off of a three-day migraine.
Alicia says
Thanks again, Katie. So glad you enjoyed!
Gina says
Finally made this tonight…SO good! And SO quick & easy! My daughter said it tasted like “restaurant food”😄
Alicia says
So happy you both loved, Gina!
Petra says
Another recipe that is wayyyy tastier than it should be considering how easy it is to make (even with a migraine like I had when I tried it) My new favorite comfort food. I paired it with cod using the Blackened Sea Bass recipe and that was a match made in heaven.
Valerie says
Delicious and easy. I’m using the rest for your apple cake recipe!