Homemade Pasta Roni is buttery, garlicky thin pasta in a creamy Parmesan sauce, made in one pot in about 15 minutes. If you grew up eating the boxed Parmesan Pasta Roni, you already know the appeal. This copycat keeps everything you love about it and swaps the powdered mix for real butter, fresh garlic, cream, and freshly grated Parmesan.
The pasta cooks right in the broth, so it soaks up flavor as it softens and there is nothing to drain. That one-pot method is what gives it the same texture as the boxed version.
I have been making this copycat Pasta Roni for years. The stovetop method comes first, and Instant Pot directions follow for anyone who prefers the pressure cooker.
Why Homemade Pasta Roni Beats the Box
- Real ingredients. The boxed mix uses powdered cheese and dehydrated garlic. This recipe uses the real thing.
- You control the salt. Low-sodium broth and a light hand with the salt keep the sodium well below a typical boxed mix.
- 15 minutes, start to finish. About the same time as the box.
- One pot. The pasta cooks in the sauce, so there is no colander and almost no cleanup.
- Pantry staples. Pasta, butter, garlic, broth, cream, and Parmesan.
- Easy to build on. Add chicken, shrimp, or broccoli and this side dish becomes dinner.
Ingredients Needed For Homemade Pasta Roni
Exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta: Thin spaghetti is the most forgiving. Angel hair is closest to the box but cooks very fast.
- Butter: Pasta Roni is butter-forward. Skip it and the copycat tastes flat.
- Olive oil: Keeps the butter from browning while the garlic cooks.
- Fresh garlic: Two cloves give noticeable garlic flavor. One is closer to the boxed version.
- Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth: Chicken broth tastes closer to the box. Vegetable broth keeps it vegetarian.
- Heavy cream: Stirred in at the end for a silky sauce.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated melts smoothest. The shaker kind works in a pinch.
- Salt and black pepper: Season at the end, after the cheese goes in.
- Fresh parsley: Optional, for color.
How To Make Homemade Pasta Roni on the Stovetop
Step One: Cook the garlic. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Step Two: Boil the broth. Pour in the broth, add the salt, and bring to a boil.
Step Three: Cook the pasta. Break the pasta in half and add it to the pan, stirring to separate the strands. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Thin spaghetti takes 8 to 10 minutes and angel hair takes 4 to 5 minutes.
Step Four: Add the cream and cheese. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan until the cheese melts into a glossy sauce.
Step Five: Season and serve. Taste, then add black pepper and more salt if needed. Top with extra Parmesan and parsley. Serve right away, because the sauce thickens as it sits.
Instant Pot Pasta Roni Method
Prefer the pressure cooker? The ingredients are the same, with 2 cups of broth.
- Break the pasta in half and layer it in the Instant Pot in a criss-cross pattern so it does not clump.
- Add the broth, butter, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Push all of the pasta under the liquid. Do not add the cream or Parmesan yet.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes for thin spaghetti or 1 minute for angel hair.
- Quick release the pressure carefully, then stir the pasta to loosen it.
- Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan until the sauce is glossy. Season and serve.
Two things matter most in the Instant Pot. Add the cream after pressure cooking, because dairy on the bottom of the pot scorches and triggers the burn notice. And keep angel hair to 1 minute, or it turns to mush.
If you would rather start from the box, I also have a guide to making boxed Pasta Roni in the Instant Pot.
Recipe Tips
- Stir often. Thin pasta cooked in a small amount of liquid sticks together if left alone.
- Watch the liquid. If the pan looks dry before the pasta is tender, add a splash of broth or water. If it looks soupy, simmer another minute.
- Take it off the heat first. Parmesan added over direct heat can clump. Residual heat melts it smoothly.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-grated Parmesan has anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy.
- Serve right away. Like the boxed version, the sauce thickens quickly as it cools.
Variations
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta Roni: Stir in 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken with the cheese.
- Garlic shrimp: Top with sauteed shrimp, or make my Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp while the pasta cooks for a spicy version.
- Broccoli Parmesan: Stir in 2 cups of steamed small broccoli florets at the end.
- Sun-dried tomato and spinach: Add 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 2 cups baby spinach with the cheese. The spinach wilts in seconds.
- Lemon Parmesan: Add the zest of one lemon and a squeeze of juice with the cheese.
- Lighter version: Use half-and-half in place of heavy cream and reduce the Parmesan to 1/3 cup.
What To Serve With Homemade Pasta Roni
Serve it as a side dish the way you would the boxed kind, or as a main with something green. It is a natural partner for Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Breast, and Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan adds a vegetable without another pot on the stove. Air Fryer Garlic Bread rounds out the plate.
How To Store and Reheat
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs the sauce and thickens as it sits.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of milk or broth, about 1 tablespoon per cup of pasta. Stir until creamy again. The microwave tends to dry it out.
- Freezer: Not recommended. Cream sauces split when frozen and thawed.
Homemade Pasta Roni FAQs
What is in Pasta Roni Parmesan? The boxed mix is thin pasta with a powdered sauce of cheese, garlic, and seasonings that you cook with water, milk, and butter. This homemade version uses fresh garlic, broth, cream, and real Parmesan instead of the powder.
Can you make Pasta Roni in the microwave? The boxed mix can be microwaved. Follow the microwave directions printed on your box. For this homemade version, the stovetop works best because thin pasta needs frequent stirring to cook evenly.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? Whole milk or half-and-half both work, with a thinner, less rich sauce. Skim milk makes it watery.
What pasta is closest to boxed Pasta Roni? Angel hair is the closest match. Thin spaghetti gives nearly the same result and is harder to overcook.
Can I use a different pasta shape? Yes. Small shapes like shells or rotini work, but they need more time and a little more broth. Cook until tender, adding liquid as needed.
Is homemade Pasta Roni gluten-free? Not as written. Use a brown rice or chickpea pasta and check it early, since gluten-free pasta can turn soft quickly.
Can I double the recipe? Yes. Use a wide pot so the pasta cooks in an even layer, and stir often.
What is the difference between Pasta Roni and Alfredo? Alfredo sauce is made separately and tossed with cooked pasta. Here the pasta cooks in seasoned broth, so it absorbs flavor as it cooks. That is what gives it the texture of the boxed mix.
Homemade Pasta Roni (Copycat Parmesan)
Description
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta, broken in half
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the garlic. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Boil the broth. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil.
- Cook the pasta. Add the pasta and stir to separate the strands. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes for thin spaghetti or 4 to 5 minutes for angel hair.
- Finish off the heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan until melted and glossy.
- Season and serve. Add black pepper and more salt to taste. Top with extra Parmesan and parsley and serve immediately.
Equipment
- Large, deep skillet or wide saucepan
- Wooden spoon or tongs
- Microplane or fine grater (for the parmesan)
Notes
- Instant Pot method: Use 2 cups broth. Layer the broken pasta in a criss-cross pattern, add the broth, butter, oil, garlic, and salt, and submerge the pasta. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes for thin spaghetti or 1 minute for angel hair, then quick release. Stir in the cream and Parmesan after cooking.
- Too dry or too soupy: Add a splash of broth if the pan dries out before the pasta is tender. Simmer a minute longer if there is too much liquid.
- Lighter version: Use half-and-half in place of heavy cream and reduce the Parmesan to 1/3 cup.
- Make it a meal: Stir in 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked shrimp, or steamed broccoli with the cheese.
- Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of milk or broth. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
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