Boursin Cheese Pasta
There’s a reason pasta is a popular weeknight dinner – it’s easy, it’s affordable, and it always goes over well. This Boursin cheese pasta recipe is no exception. It’s reminiscent of a grown-up mac & cheese. It’s quick and easy, made with just 4 ingredients, and a dinner that tastes a bit fancy but is ready in just 20 minutes.
This easy pasta has major flavor and is delicious on its own, but you can also add cooked chicken, shrimp, or a variety of vegetables if you want to add some more flavor and/or protein.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What You’ll Love About Boursin Cheese Pasta
- Quick and easy dinner
- Great for busy weeknights
- Major creamy flavor
- Deliciously chewy pasta
- Made with just 4 ingredients!
- Takes just 20 minutes to make
- Minimal prep – just boiling water
- Naturally vegetarian pasta dish
Ingredients
- Pasta – Use a short tube pasta like campanelle, cavatappi, fusilli, gemelli, cellentani, or something similar.
- Olive oil – Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Garlic – We’re slicing the garlic, so you’ll need fresh garlic cloves. You could use frozen or jarred garlic if you prefer, but be sure to adjust the cooking time so it doesn’t burn, it will brown quickly.
- Boursin – I’ve used the garlic and fine herbs cheese, but any flavor would be delicious, so feel free to switch it up! You’ll want about 10 ounces of the cheese, so two of the standard sizes. I think the shallot & chive or caramelized onion flavors would be just as delicious!
- Garnishes – Freshly cracked black pepper, flaky sea salt, red pepper flakes, fresh chives, Parmesan cheese.
Emily’s Tip
Two IMPORTANT notes on cooking the pasta.
One: Stop cooking about 2-3 minutes before al dente (it will continue to cook in the sauce). Two: Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water (most of the water), we’re using it to build the Boursin cheese pasta sauce.
How to Make Cheesy Boursin Pasta
This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Cook pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water.
- Cook garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet (the biggest you have!) over medium heat. Add garlic and cook briefly, until it’s softened.
- Make sauce. Pour in half or more of pasta cooking water and bring to a simmer.
- Add cheese. Turn heat down to low and stir Boursin cheese into the pasta water, until it’s dissolved into a silky sauce.
- Add pasta. Add cooked pasta to the creamy sauce and stir together. Cook until the sauce has thickened a bit, but is still saucy.
FAQs
The only dairy in this pasta recipe is the Boursin and they do have a dairy-free option, so it’s a possibility! I have not yet tested or tried the dairy-free “cheese” so I’m not sure how it melts, but if you give it a try, let us know in the comments if it works!
Of course! There are so many great additions you could add to the creamy pasta dish to add in protein, extra veggies, and flavor:
Roasted tomatoes – serve or sundried tomatoes over the top of pasta
Spinach – stir baby spinach into sauce with the pasta
Artichokes – stir drained and chopped artichokes into sauce with the pasta
Chicken – Top pasta with grilled chicken breast or cooked chicken
Seafood – Top pasta with cooked shrimp or scallops
No, this easy boursin pasta recipe is different. The baked feta pasta is made by combining feta cheese and grape tomatoes in a baking dish and cooking until it gets creamy and soft and combining it with pasta.
Some people have made a similar version but swapped the feta cheese for Boursin, but this particular recipe is made with a different method.
Storage
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat pasta gently in a hot skillet or microwave until heated through. Add a drizzle of olive oil if it feels dry. As it sits, the sauce will be soaked into the pasta more.
What to Serve with Boursin Pasta
All this pasta needs is a simple side:
- Kale Salad
- Haricot Verts
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Basic side salad
- Garlic bread
More Pasta Recipes
If you like this easy weeknight dinner, you might also like these other easy pasta recipes:
Want More?
Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.
Boursin Cheese Pasta Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Boursin cheese pasta may taste fancy with its delicious flavor and silky texture, but is a quick and easy dinner, ready in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pasta (short tube like
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 5–oz. packages garlic & fine herbs Boursin
- freshly cracked pepper, flaky sea salt, red pepper flakes
- thinly sliced chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted water, draining 2 minutes early from al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta cooking water before you drain, it will be most of the water.
- When pasta is close to being finished, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook for about a minute, until garlic has softened.
- Pour in about 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and stir boursin into the pasta water, stirring until it’s a silky sauce.
- Let lightly simmer for 2-3 minutes and then stir in pasta and cook for another 2 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Serve immediately and add freshly cracked pepper, flaky sea salt, and red pepper flakes if desired. Garnish with chives if using.
Notes
- Two IMPORTANT notes on pasta. One: Stop cooking the pasta about 2-3 minutes before al dente (it will continue to cook in the sauce). Two: Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water (most of the water), we’re using it to build the Boursin cheese pasta sauce.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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