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.
This the first side dish recipe that I have made that actually turned out (not runny or too dry etc.). My horrendously picky children actually ate some. Thank you!!
Tried the recipe for the Creamy Garlic Shells, they came out delicious. Really not much more effort than the packet kind but exceptionally more taste! Inspires me to make more pasta sides with this base sauce. Thanks.
Hi, do you know what’s the calories total, protein, carbs and fat percentages? Thanks!
I just made this, so delicious, to go with my oven baked pork ribs… Thank-you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it, Teresa – and now I’m craving ribs! ;)
Great recipe. The entire pan was gone within 5 minutes. I didn’t have any small pasta, Penne pasta worked fine. We use those packets of pasta a LOT and I love that this is all in one pan. Thank you!
I made this for Outdoor Ed and it tastes amazing thanks so much ??
Oh my stars, I was looking for an easy noodle side dish that I could adapt for a low-sodium diet, and this was so delicious! So much better than any processed package you buy in the store, and just as easy. Thanks!
Can we use heavy cream and vegetable broth instead of milk and chicken broth (caseinA allergy hence the heavy cream and vegetarian hence the veg broth!)?
For sure!
Oh.my.gosh I came across this on pinterest, and cannot believe this taste EXACTLY like the packet, but even better. I know everything that goes in and can control the salt. I used whole wheat pasta. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. Thank you thank you!
So glad you enjoyed, Danielle!! :)
I made both the garlic shells and kale last night and they were a huge hit. I added a splash of red wine vinegar to the kale. My boyfriend ate 2 HUGE servings of the shells. I will definately make this again, thanks!
Just made this for dinner for my husband and me, and we loved it! I stirred in some cooked chicken at the end with the pasta and let it heat through. Made a tasty one pot meal. Thanks for the recipe!
Forgot to mention that I upped the sauce ingredients to make enough sauce to cover the chicken. By the way, i always thought those packets in the store looked and sounded better than they actually taste in real life. They are just a tease. ;-) This version is MUCH better!
I loved the way this pasta came out. I will however omit the 1/2 tsp of garlic power. It was a little too garlic-y for me. Otherwise, this is a much better alternative than store bought in a box with a seasoning packet.
Can I use mozzarella cheese instead of parm?
Sure! The shells will just be a bit more “gooey” from the soft cheese vs a hard cheese like parm.