This lemon garlic sour cream pasta is a great combination of sweet garlic and tart lemon and sour cream. It's also so quick to put together!
Can you beat a bowl of pasta? I'm not sure it's possible! It's the ultimate comfort food, great for busy weeknights and so amazingly versatile. I love it baked, with chicken, in salads and all in one pot!
This pasta with sour cream though, is one of my favourites. What started as a clear-out-the-fridge recipe has become a household staple, this sour cream pasta sauce is amazing!
Sometimes you just need a good pasta dish, you know? The other night we were contemplating dinner and all I could think about was a big bowl of pasta.
Will had all sorts of ideas about making a lasagne or something complicated but I wanted dinner on my plate in less than an hour so I put my foot down and we created this lemon garlic sour cream pasta.
The other snag? Neither of us could be bothered to leave the flat.
Admittedly this is pretty lazy considering our closest shop is about a minutes walk away but we were in our onesies (sidenote: thank god onesies exist in the world, they make the cold weather a thousand times better) so there was no leaving the house for us.
Sometimes I miss my uni days when I was completely open to leaving the house in my pyjamas. Being an adult sucks sometimes.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS LEMON GARLIC SOUR CREAM PASTA:
- Pasta
- Butter
- Garlic
- Sour Cream
- Parmesan
- Milk
- Lemon
- Spinach
- Pecorino
- Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Keep scrolling to get the full recipe for this lemon garlic sour cream pasta...
Anyways, we had to make something with whatever we could find in the fridge. That turned out to be not all that much since we're behind on food shopping.
We had sour cream leftover from nacho Saturday, a slightly sad looking lemon and a few handfuls of spinach.
Related: Try out this miso pasta recipe for another delicious easy pasta!
But what we created was pretty great.
I guess sometimes not being overwhelmed by choice of ingredients helps you to focus. Or something like that.
I was a little apprehensive about the use of sour cream but it gave an amazing tangy flavour which was set off by a squeeze of lemon juice and really was the perfect way to use up sour cream.
Plus it has a good helping of garlic and butter at the beginning of cooking which infused the whole dish with possibly my favourite flavour in the whole world.
Tips for making this sour cream sauce for pasta:
- Start by cooking the garlic gently. Make sure it doesn't burn, bitter burnt garlic is the worst.
- It helps to remove the sour cream from the fridge when you start cooking and let it come up to room temperature.
- If the sauce needs thinning out a little then add a little milk before removing from the heat.
Thanks to the clear out the fridge nature of this dish we used two different cheeses - parmesan stirred through while cooking and a good grating of pecorino before tucking in.
If you don't want to buy two different cheeses then you could use the same one throughout, it would still taste super delicious.
Want more? There's loads more pasta recipes here!
WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT FROM MAKING THIS LEMON GARLIC SOUR CREAM PASTA?
If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!
Italian Shakshuka with Basil and Parmesan
Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup with Pasta & Beans
How to make pasta sauce with sour cream:
Recipe
Lemon Garlic Sour Cream Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g Pasta cooked I used shells
- 40 g Butter
- 2 cloves Fat Garlic crushed
- 300 ml Sour Cream
- 60 g Parmesan grated
- 30 ml Milk (optional)
- Juice and zest of half a Lemon
- Salt and Pepper
- 100 g Baby Spinach Leaves
- Pecorino grated for serving
- Small bunch fresh Parsley choppd
Instructions
- Melt the butter over a medium heat and add the garlic. Let it caramelise for about 5 minutes making sure not to let it burn. Add the sour cream, parmesan, lemon zest and juice, milk (if using) and salt and pepper. Simmer for a minute. Stir through the spinach leaves until wilted.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the cooked pasta. Mix together and serve in bowls topped with a grating of pecorino and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Notes
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Marcella says
Put my pasta on and my sauce was done at the same time. So quick and easy to use up left over ingredients
Jasmine says
I went totally rogue with this recipe after realizing I was out of a couple ingredients, and am looking forward to trying it the way it was intended!
(Still turned out great, but not at all according to plan lol)
sara says
so good! i added sautéed onions and mushrooms too
Amelia says
Loved it! Just added a handful of pine nuts for a bit of added protein and it is now going to be a regular on my table. Thank you for sharing.
Amy says
Thanks Amelia!
Olga says
Amy, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Alyssa says
Amy, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!
Rita Buckberry says
Always score my new tries out if 10. My husband gave it 11. Loved it
Amy says
LOVE THIS! Thanks so much Rita 🙂
Maddy says
Just made this and it taste amazing the hint of lemon with the sour cream is a surprising taste that just works
Amy says
Hi Maddy, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for your comment!
Helene D'Souza says
I love creamy lemon garlic pasta, I make it frequently at home. Kind of a fan of lemon flavored meals. 🙂
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
That looks like a comforting and easy pasta dish! I love coming up with dinner based on what I have in the fridge. It always ends up being something interesting which I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
Sour cream sounds really good to me. I love it and I can bet it added a nice flavor to this pasta!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I adore lemony pasta sauces, and this one looks fabulous, your shots are stunning!
LIsa | Garlic & Zest says
One of my favorite things to do is taking sad/disparate ingredients and leftovers and creating a new and delicious dish... That's what you've done here and it looks fantastic!
Charlie says
Just finished eating this and it was gorgeous!! The boyfriend loved it, too, which is a first for home cooked food.
Didn't add the milk but didn't see it in the method. Really tasty though.
Amy says
Thanks so much Charlie!