Creamy Cheese Sauce Pasta (Printable version)

Velvety cheese sauce with sharp cheddar and Parmesan, perfect for enhancing your pasta dishes.

# Ingredient list:

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

02 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

03 - 2 cups warm whole milk

04 - 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

06 - ¼ cup softened cream cheese

07 - ½ teaspoon salt, to taste

08 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

09 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

01 - In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

02 - Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles but does not brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

03 - Gradually whisk in warm milk, avoiding lumps; continue cooking and stirring frequently until sauce thickens, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

04 - Lower heat to low, then add cheddar, Parmesan, and cream cheese; stir until fully melted and sauce becomes smooth.

05 - Season with salt, pepper, and optional nutmeg; taste and adjust seasonings as preferred.

06 - Remove from heat and immediately pour over cooked pasta; toss to coat evenly.

01 -

It comes together in fifteen minutes, which means you can actually feed people without ordering takeout.
The cheese doesn't break or get grainy because you're doing the one thing that matters: tempering the milk.
It tastes homemade in a way that feels like you know a secret other people don't.

02 -

If your sauce breaks and gets grainy, it's because the heat was too high when you added the cheese. Low and slow is not just advice; it's the rule.
Warming the milk first is not a suggestion. Cold milk hitting hot roux will give you lumps that no amount of whisking fixes.

03 -

If you've made this before and want it richer, stir in an extra tablespoon of cream cheese instead of more cheddar—it keeps everything smooth.
Keep a splash of milk nearby while cooking because if the sauce gets too thick, a little milk whisked in brings it back to life without breaking the emulsion.