Creamy Garlic Shells are a quick and easy side dish that pairs with just about any dinner! Made from fridge and pantry staples, these shells taste just like store-bought pasta packet sides, but are much healthier, and just as easy.
“Great recipe. Taste just like the packaged noodles but without all the additives. Served as a side with chicken parmigiana.”
Confession: I have to physically avert my eyes every time I pass the pasta sides packets in the grocery store.
You know the ones. They come in cozy and mouthwatering flavors like Creamy Chicken (a personal favorite of mine in college), Butter & Herb (yes and yes), and Broccoli Cheddar (everybody’s favorite). Plus they’re like, $.88 a packet. You can’t beat that with a stick!
What I’d like to beat with a stick is the ingredient list and nutritional information that comes along with these unfortunately delicious side dishes.
Luckily it’s a cinch to ditch the packet and make Creamy Garlic Shells at home. This easy, crowd-pleasing pasta side dish pairs with just about any dinner!
Watch How to Make It
Easy Pasta Side Dish
Creamy and ultra-garlicky, this side comes together in about 15 minutes (including pasta cooking time) and the best part is you control the ingredients that go inside.
Saute fresh garlic in a little bit of butter, thicken with flour, then simmer with milk, chicken broth, and seasonings until thick and bubbly.
Stir in cooked pasta and you’ve got a winner of a side dish to pair with dinner! That is to say, this is really good.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Shells
Start by cooking small pasta shells (or any small cut pasta) in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, place a medium / small-sized pan over medium heat then melt butter inside. Add freshly pressed or minced garlic cloves then saute until very light golden brown — be very careful to not burn the garlic!
Sprinkle in flour then whisk while cooking for 30 seconds. I use gluten free flour, but all-purpose flour is fine if you don’t need to eat gluten free.
Slowly pour in chicken broth then milk (whatever you’ve got in the fridge for drinking) while whisking to create a smooth sauce.
Then, season with garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat up slightly then cook while stirring with a spatula until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat down as necessary to maintain a gentle bubble.
Last step for the sauce is to stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Add the cooked shells into the pot then stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Let the shells cool and thicken for 5 minutes then scoop and serve next to the protein and vegetable of your choice.
I hope you love every bite of this easy, homemade, yummy pasta side dish recipe – enjoy!
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Orzo
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
- Easy Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
- Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 oz mini shell pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup milk, any kind
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- slightly heaping 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil then add a small palmful of salt. Add the pasta then cook until al dente. Drain then set aside.
- Meanwhile, place a small to medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the butter then, once melted, add the garlic. Saute while stirring until the garlic is very fragrant and the smallest bits are just barely golden brown — do not overcook / burn the garlic. Sprinkle in the flour then cook while whisking for 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and milk while whisking to create a smooth sauce then add the dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and then whisk to combine. Turn the heat up slightly then switch to a spatula and cook while stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes, turning the heat down if necessary to maintain a very gentle bubble. Add the parmesan cheese then stir until smooth.
- Turn off the heat then add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and stir to combine. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary. Let the pasta sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Made this last week according to the recipe. It was really good, although next time I think I’ll taste it before adding the garlic powder because it was too garlicky for my boyfriend. I will be making this again soon, pasta and garlic are two of my favorites. Might just have to eat it all myself ;) Thanks!
This recipe was soooo good and so easy! I even made a version with Gluten Free pasta, delicious!!
This pasta side dish was incredible! Thank you for sharing! It was so good that I decided to feature it on my blog :)
Aloha,
Cass
http://floatingendless.blogspot.com/
Robert liked them!
I have tried to mimic the garlic sauce in those packaged shells forever! I too have always loved them and the price is hard to fight especially when I’m couponing!
Anyhow, I made this tonight with penne and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe, I will be using it often :)
I made these, and although they are okay, I don’t know what I did wrong! I didn’t have parsley flakes, but that shouldn’t effect the thickness, right? It wouldn’t get thick enough, and it didn’t taste very cheesy or garlicky, I used the exact measurements!
Hi Jordyn, I’m sorry to hear that! The only thing I can think of is that maybe you could let the sauce cook longer next time so it gets a bit thicker?
I just made this again and realized I hadn’t left feedback. Sorry! Love this recipe. So yummy! Definitely my go-to recipe when I’m craving something from a packet (which is sadly often!) Thanks so much. :)
This looks like a very easy and quick meal to make, I will get our chef to wip something like this up for my staff when they have to stay back late. Thanks for shareing :)
Great side dish. However, I think it was a bit too garlicky (is that a word?!) I think I will omit the garlic powder next time around.
This was incredible! I loved the garlic flavor and the sauce was just perfect. This put a smile on my family’s face! Thanks so much :)
I pinned this last night or in the morning and can’t stop thinking about it. Oh. My. Gosh.
This looks PERFECT! I only discovered those pasta packets when I moved to Germany and got lazy with cooking. Such a terrible guilty pleasure! I have something already planned for tomorrow’s lunch but Tuesday? Sooo making this!
I just made this because I was dying for some mac and cheese. It’s good but I’m not drooling over it. I followed everything to a T besides adding an extra small clove of garlic. It tastes a bit like flower to me. Good but I’m stuck on the boxed mac and cheese, as bad as it is for you.
Looks amazing! Is there a reason you recommend small pasta?