Philadelphia Pasta

Discover the ultimate Philadelphia Pasta recipe, a creamy and delicious dinner featuring rich soft cheese, tender pasta, and salty bacon. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a cosy dinner, this easy-to-follow recipe brings the comforting flavours of Philadelphia right to your kitchen.

Cream Cheese Pasta, or soft cheese pasta, is a super simple, quick and tasty family dinner. It’s budget-friendly, and a nice change from your usual family pasta recipes. 

This is one of my go-to’s when we’re busy with after-school clubs and things like that, and I don’t have time to cook much else. 

I add tons of veggies, so it’s also really nutritious and tasty, without needing lots of herbs and ingredients. 

Ingredients For Philadelphia Pasta

When I make this easy Philadelphia pasta, I use:

Tagliatelle – You can use any pasta, I just like this. 

Olive Oil – Other cooking oils are fine too. 

Unsmoked Bacon

Red Onion

Garlic Puree – You can use fresh garlic, just swap for 2 cloves. 

Courgettes

Frozen Peas

Baby Spinach

Philadelphia – It doesn’t have to be branded. You can use the store’s own brand, just make sure it’s full-fat cream cheese/soft cheese. 

Chicken Stock – This isn’t essential, you can just add some of the pasta water if you prefer. 

Cornflour – This is just to thicken the sauce. If it’s already thick enough, you can skip this entirely. 

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Parmesan Cheese 

You’ll Also Need

All you really need to make an easy soft cheese pasta is a large, non-stick, flameproof pan or dish and a spatula. I use my cast iron Dutch oven, but a large frying pan is fine too. 

Then just something to cook and drain your pasta, a sharp knife and chopping board, and a grater for the parmesan. 

How to Make Philadelphia Pasta – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Cook the pasta to the packet instructions, aiming for an al-dente texture. 

Step Two

Rinse with cold water and set to one side. This just stops it from sticking together while it’s waiting. 

Step Three

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick flameproof pan or dish over medium heat on the hob. 

Step Four

Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often. 

Step Five

Add the bacon and fry for 5 minutes until browned, stirring often. It will break up as it cooks. 

Step Six

Stir in the garlic, courgette and peas.

Step Seven

Add the cream cheese. Stir in. 

Step Eight

Add the stock, only using as much as you need to for a sauce. How much you need will depend on how much water comes out of your other ingredients, so stir in a bit at a time. 

You can use pasta water instead of stock, you just need to add a little liquid to your cream cheese sauce.

Step Nine

Bring to a simmer. 

Step Ten

Add the spinach and stir until wilted. I love this bit!

Step Eleven

Mix the cornflour with a splash of water and pour into the sauce. Stir well. 

If the sauce is already as thick as you want it, skip this step.

Step Twelve

Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 

Step Thirteen

Add black pepper to taste. 

Step Fourteen

Stir in the cooked pasta and let it warm if it is cold. 

Step Fifteen

Serve with parmesan and a little more black pepper to taste. 

Serving Suggestions

We tend to serve cream cheese pasta like this as it is, straight from the pan with a little grated Parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper. 

There are plenty of veggies, but if you want more, a fresh side salad is never a bad thing. 

My kids love pasta with garlic bread, so that’s another option.

Variations

If you are looking to make some changes, there are some great options. 

Skip the Bacon

You can skip the bacon entirely if you want to make a vegetarian Philadelphia pasta. Another option is using a meat-free bacon alternative. You could even try plant-basted Philadelphia. I haven’t tried this though, so I can’t comment on its quality. 

Make Philadelphia Chicken Pasta

Chicken pasta with soft cheese is delicious too. Either use chicken breast instead of, or as well as bacon. Dice and brown it before adding the onions, and use a food thermometer to make sure it’s over 75 degrees C before serving. If you add a lot of chicken, you might need to buy a bigger pack of Philadelphia for a nice creamy Philadelphia Chicken pasta. 

Skip the Stock

My son doesn’t like cheese. Under most circumstances. He likes pizza, and some sauces that are cheese-based, but it’s not his favourite flavour.

Using a little stock tones down the cheese, so he likes it. 

If you want a stronger cheesy flavour, use a ladle or two of pasta water instead of stock. 

Skip Some Veggies

With courgette, spinach and peas, there’s a lot of veg. If your family don’t like one, just skip it, or replace it with more of another. 

Add Prawns

Philadelphia prawn pasta is, I’m sure lovely. Try adding cooked prawns to the sauce, giving them time to heat up before serving. 

Use Garlic and Herb Philadelphia

Pasta with Philadelphia garlic and herb is an easy way to change the flavour. A straight swap is fine, but I only recommend this if you like garlic and herb Philly. 

Leftovers

Add a cup of water, or some extra stock to leftovers and reheat in a pan on the hob, or in the microwave, making sure it’s piping hot before serving. 

How long it takes will depend on how much you’ve got left over. Warm at medium heat, and stir regularly so that it heats evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.