I Never Use Heavy Cream for Pasta Sauce — I Always Swap in This Cheap Ingredient Instead (It’s Probably in Your Pantry!)

When I was growing up, my mom often stocked up on cans of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and boxes of spaghetti to make Filipino-style carbonara. I always thought it was a fancy meal. Creamy pasta with crispy bacon bits on top was a big change from eating rice, so it always felt special. It was the only carbonara I knew until my family moved from Manila to Toronto, where I was eventually exposed to authentic Italian food and realized we ate a completely different version back home. 

But that never changed how I used canned cream of mushroom soup. As simple and delicious as both traditional Italian and Filipino-style carbonara are, I don’t always have the energy for all the prep work. And the truth is, a lot of people don’t either. But not everyone has the luxury of ordering takeout whenever they’re feeling a little tired. A lot of us still want to cook our own meals — we just want it to be quick, easy, and delicious. 

While the true origins of cream of mushroom soup are unclear, some people claim it can be traced back to France in the early 20th century and is based on the classic béchamel sauce, which is made with roux, milk, and nutmeg. Béchamel is often used in lasagna, gratin, mac and cheese, and other casseroles, so who’s to say you can’t use canned cream of mushroom soup in the same way? Not only is it a nostalgic childhood staple for me, but it’s also an excellent hack to make pasta sauce in less than 10 minutes. 

I’m not the type of person to plan ahead, so having a well-stocked pantry is essential. That’s where canned cream of mushroom soup comes in. It might not sound appealing at first, but if you really think about it, it is the creamy pasta cheat code. Whether or not it originated from béchamel sauce, one of the gifts canned cream of mushroom soup offers is that it’s already seasoned and has the right creamy consistency for a pasta sauce, so you don’t have to wait for it to reduce. 

You could easily dress it up with some aromatics, Parmesan cheese, crispy guanciale or bacon, and chopped herbs, or simply mix it in with your cooked pasta if you’re short on time. Either way, it’ll save you any fussy prep work and cleanup. It’s cheap, shelf-stable, and an effortless way to make a comforting pasta dish any day of the week. 

• Use it as a base. You don’t have to stop at just using it as your sauce. Sauté chopped onions, garlic, and fresh mushrooms with olive oil in a separate pot, then add the canned cream of mushroom soup with about 1/2 cup of water. Stir it all together until incorporated.
• Add it directly into the pasta if you’re short on time. After draining the water, you could add the cream of mushroom soup directly into the same pot and stir everything together until the pasta is evenly coated. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit more water. 
• Taste and adjust as needed. Canned cream of mushroom soup comes pre-seasoned, so before serving, be sure to taste and add more salt if needed.
I also recommend adding a lot of freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: I Never Use Heavy Cream for Pasta Sauce — I Always Swap in This Cheap Ingredient Instead (It’s Probably in Your Pantry!)