Name: Spaghetti con crema
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 oz Spaghetti pasta; 1/3 cup Mexican crema ((or sour cream)); 4-6 slices Deli ham; 1/3 cup Onion ((diced)); 1 Garlic ((minced)); 2 tbsp Butter; 1/2 tsp Garlic salt; 1-2 stalks Celery (diced) ((optional))

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This Mexican Spaghetti con crema (spaghetti in cream sauce) is a super easy to make and is ready under 30 minutes. It's made with a few pantry staples like Mexican crema or sour cream, spaghetti pasta, some ham and onions. Spaghetti con crema is one of the first recipes I learned how to make when I was younger. It was the easiest recipe to learn with only a few pantry staple ingredients.

spaghetti con crema served on a plate with a fork

Why you'll love this spaghetti in cream sauce

The perfect recipe when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen
If you love Alfredo sauce, but want something lighter and not overly rich than you have to try this Mexican creamy spaghetti
It's a toddler and kid friendly spaghetti pasta (my kids enjoy it)

Mexican crema vs sour cream

Mexican crema is similar to sour cream and can be use interchangeably in some dishes. It's a thinner runny consistency and easier to pour and drizzle over many Mexican dishes like, entomatadas, enmoladas and air fryer taquitos. Whereas, sour cream is more of a thick consistency that can hold its shape. Sour cream also can curdle in high heat, so I do recommend working with it quickly when combining with the pasta. You can also bring your sour cream at room temperature while you're prepping all the other steps before adding to the skillet.

For this recipe you can use sour cream if you can't find Mexican crema at your local store. I've made this dish with both and my favorite way to eat it is of course with Mexican crema. If you can find Mexican crema, use it on this recipe.

Ingredients you will need

Spaghetti - you can also use bucatini or angel hair pasta
Mexican crema or sour cream works great too
Onion - About a ⅓ cup of a diced onios.
Garlic - minced garlic for that extra garlicky taste
Garlic salt - for flavoring and more garlic
Deli ham - for some protein. I like using 4-6 thin slices chopped deli ham.
Butter - 2 tablespoons to make the cream sauce

How to make spaghetti con crema

Step 1 Start by cooking the spaghetti noodles according the packaging instructions. Then in a large skillet heat the butter in medium high heat and add the onion. Heat the onions for about three minutes or until softened and then add the minced garlic for another minute.

spaghetti cooked in a large pot filled with water

chopped onion and minced garlic being cooked in a large skillet

Step 2 Add in your chopped ham and combine with onion and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add in the Mexican crema or sour cream and combine with onion and ham.

chopped onion being combined in a large skillet with the chopped onions and minced garlic

sour cream being tossed in the skillet and conbined with ham and onion

Step 3 Once the crema or sour cream has been mixed in, add in the spaghetti pasta and combine. Add in garlic salt and freshly cracked pepper and serve immediately.

spaghetti being tossed with the cream in a large skillet

spaghetti being tossed with the cream and ham

Variations and Substitutions

The best Mexican crema substitute is sour cream. Sour cream tends to be a pantry staple, so for many it's easier to make this recipe with sour cream.

Ham You can use steak ham and chop into small pieces or you can omit the ham. I've had this pasta countless of times without ham and it taste just as good.

Add 1-2 stalks of diced celery for that extra crunch

Storing Suggestions

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.