Keto Creamy Parmesan Pasta - Only 6 Ingredients and Gluten-free

Keto Creamy Parmesan Pasta - This delicious Keto Creamy Parmesan Pasta takes only 20 minutes to make! An easy one dish keto dinner recipe, this 6-ingredient gluten-free pasta dinner is the perfect weeknight recipe. Rich and creamy Parmesan sauce with keto pasta made in a single pot...Dinner doesn't get much easier than that!

Keto Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Garlic and parmesan - These are probably two of my favourite savoury flavours!!!

After making my Super Easy Parmesan Cracker Crisps as well as my 3-Ingredient Keto Crackers and ended up with some leftover Parmesan cheese as well as the rind. Never wanting to waste anything, I came up with this delicious easy keto dinner recipe that is so delish! And by using a single pan, this easy one dish keto dinner is the most epic gluten-free pasta dinner recipe ever. Only 6 basic ingredients are needed to create this amazing dish.

The best thing is that by only using one dish, the keto and gluten-free noodles soak up all the amazing flavour, giving you that rich and creamy sauce coating the noodles in all its garlic-Parmesan glory.

Easy One Dish Keto Dinner Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients used in this easy keto dinner recipe are pretty much everyday items that you probably have at home so you don’t even have to go out to shop! The only somewhat "weird" ingredient is the rind from the Parmesan cheese.

Check your fridge for the following:

• Garlic – This keto garlic Parmesan sauce doesn’t skimp on garlic! I use 6 cloves for this recipe, but feel free to reduce the amount if you want less garlic. It’s also fine to substitute garlic powder (use ¾ teaspoon in place of the 6 cloves).
• Heavy Cream – This keto creamy Parmesan sauce gets all its richness from the cream...no butter needed here! If you need an dairy-free alternative and don’t mind the flavour, you can also substitute full-fat canned coconut milk. I don’t recommend almond milk, as the final sauce will be too thin.
• Parmesan Cheese – You can't possibly make creamy Parmesan sauce without using Parmesan cheese. If possible, try to get a chunk of Parmesan cheese that still has the rind attached and not just pre-shredded cheese. By adding the rind to the heavy cream, you add a deeper level of that delicious Parmesan flavour. Then, adding the actual shredded cheese, the sauce becomes nice and thick. If you don't have the rind, you can still follow this recipe without it.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – You’ll want to add a little more than you think you’ll need, since the sauce will mellow out after mixing with ingredients like pasta or vegetables. If you don’t like the appearance of black pepper in your sauce, use white pepper instead.
• Nutmeg – It’s a classic ingredient for any easy creamy Parmesan sauce, but you can omit it if you like.

Why use Parmesan Rind in this Keto Creamy Parmesan Sauce

The rind is a protective layer that develops on the outside of the cheese wheel as it ages. While it is edible, it can become too hard and tough to chew (think of it as the crust on a loaf of bread). Still, Parmigiano Reggiano rinds are packed full of flavour and can be used to enrich sauces, soups, stews and more.

To use the rind, simply toss the rind into the pan when making the sauce and allow it to simmer alongside the ingredients. When the sauce is ready, some of the Parmesan rind will have dissolved into the sauce and the remaining rind easily removed. This has a two-fold benefit - The part of the rind that has melted will help to thicken the sauce as well as impart a rich and deep flavour.

Making this Easy Keto Dinner Recipe

• Make make the sauce -  Add the heavy cream, garlic, and Parmesan rind to a saute pan and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and continue simmering until sauce thickens and reduces by roughly ⅓- this will take about 5 minutes depending on the size of the pan. The larger your saucepan, the faster it will reduce.
• Thicken the sauce - Turn the heat off but leave the saucepan on the burner. Gradually whisk in parmesan cheese, pepper and nutmeg until smooth.
• Add the pasta - Add the keto pasta and stir until everything comes together. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to allow the noodles to absorb some of the flavour.

Keto and Gluten-free Noodles

In today's world, finding Keto and Gluten-free noodles is not at all difficult. And if you want to make your own, you can use my 4-Ingredient Beet Noodles or use my Homemade Low Carb Noodles that I use to make this keto Lasagna and slice the lasagna sheets into thin strips.

As for store-bought brands, here is a list of some of the popular brands:

• Shirataki Noodles - Used for centuries in Asian cuisine, shirataki noodles are known for soaking up rich flavors in soups and sauces. Made from glucomannan—a starch found in the konjac yam—our angel hair and fettucine noodles are free of gluten, fat, grains, and soy. And best of all, each serving is only 10 calories! My favourite ones are Wonder Noodles by Thrive Market as they seem to have the least smell when opening the package.
• Hearts of Palm Noodles - Palmini is a low carb alternative made 100% out of Hearts of Palm. Therefore, if you eat it straight out of the can, it will taste like Hearts of Palm with a softer texture. However, once rinsed and added to a sauce, the resemblance to real pasta is quite similar.
• Impastable - This ThinSlim brand is not gluten-free but is low carb. There Low Carb Pasta is a revolutionary pasta that is soy free and shirataki free, low in net carbs, low in calories, and packed with fiber.

To Thicken or Thin the Parmesan Sauce

This keto Parmesan sauce recipe contains no thickeners, because it thickens naturally from the cheese, unlike other jarred sauces that rely on starches or flour. If you do wish to thicken the sauce more without adding substantial carbs, you can add more grated parmesan to your liking, or try whisking in a little xanthan gum before adding the pasta.

If the sauce is too thick, simply stir in some additional butter, olive oil or more heavy cream or even a little almond milk.

How many carbs are in this Easy One Dish Keto Dinner?

This Keto Creamy Parmesan pasta recipe has 5 g net carbs per serving. Carbs in restaurant Parmesan fettuccini at restaurants can vary widely, but on average contain approximately 42 grams!

Storing leftovers

IF you have any leftovers (and you will hope you do as this makes an excellent lunch the next day!), you can store this easy keto Parmesan pasta in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Can you make the sauce and freeze it?

Yes, you can freeze this sauce and only use what you need instead of making 6 servings. To freeze the sauce, transfer the sauce to an airtight container in individual servings and freeze for 2-3 months. IF the sauce turns out simply lumpy after it has thawed, follow the instructions below!

To thaw and reheat

If frozen, thaw the keto sauce in the refrigerator overnight or reheat directly from frozen. Reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop until warm. Make sure you stir the sauce often to break up any lumps and make sure that it does not burn! If it is still not smooth, try whisking it briefly or use a stick blender or a Vitamix to blend it together.

If the sauce ends up too thick after blending, simply add some additional cream to thin it to the desired consistency.

What else can you use this keto sauce on?

Now that you know how to make easy keto Parmesan sauce, you can always make ti and use it with other dinner recipes instead of just with pasta. Here are some recipes you can pair with this sauce:

• Meat – Drizzle this easy keto sauce on top of Moist Dill Pickle-Brined Chicken, Chorizo Shrimp Skewers, or even use it instead of mayo in this 3-Ingredient Keto Salmon Salad
• Roasted veggies – Roasted shishito peppers, roasted broccoli, and air fryer roasted Brussels sprouts pair well with this creamy sauce.

More Easy Keto Dinner Recipe Ideas

• Easy Keto Pizza Bowl Recipe for 2
• Keto Pork Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce
• Keto 30-Minute Chili with Olives - Whole30 and Paleo
• Keto Pad Thai - A 15-Minute Plant-Based Vegan Recipe
• Keto Spaghetti Pasta Bake using Shirataki Noodles
• Keto Mustard Chicken Smothered in Bacon and Mozzarella

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