Description
Luxurious Smoked Cream Cheese Pasta invites pasta enthusiasts on a culinary journey of rich, smoky flavors. Silky textures and bold ingredients combine to create a memorable dining experience you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine)
- 1 block (8 oz or 226 g) cream cheese
- 1 pint (475 ml) cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsps fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- ½ cup (120 ml) pasta water (reserved)
Instructions
- Smoker Preparation: Calibrate smoker to 225°F, selecting mild wood chips like apple, cherry, or pecan for delicate smoky undertones.
- Cream Cheese Seasoning: Nestle cream cheese in cast iron skillet, lavish with olive oil, then generously dust with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt for robust flavor infusion.
- Tomato Roasting: Massage cherry tomatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, arranging them alongside cream cheese in smoker-ready configuration.
- Smoking Process: Introduce cream cheese and tomatoes to smoker, allowing gradual flavor development for approximately 2 hours until cream cheese becomes luxuriously soft and tomatoes caramelize.
- Pasta Transformation: Simultaneously cook pasta to package specifications, strategically reserving pasta water before draining to enhance sauce consistency.
- Sauce Creation: Transfer smoked cream cheese and roasted tomatoes into expansive mixing bowl, vigorously mashing and blending until achieving silken texture, then incorporate reserved pasta water to craft a velvety, harmonious sauce.
Notes
- Maintain a consistent 225F to ensure even smoking and prevent burning the cream cheese or tomatoes.
- Select mild woods like apple or cherry for a gentle, subtle smokiness that enhances without overpowering the dish.
- Save the starchy pasta water to help create a smooth, creamy sauce that perfectly coats the pasta.
- Go light on salt initially, as smoked ingredients and pasta water already contribute significant flavor complexity.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg