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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Lemon Garlic Sour Cream Pasta

    Author: Amy Fulwood | Published: Oct 19, 2016 | Modified: Oct 3, 2024

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    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!

    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!

    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.

    Blue bowl of sour cream pasta on a wooden background

    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...

    Piece of lemon garlic sour cream pasta on a fork about a bowl on a wooden background

    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!

    Blue bowl of lemon garlic sour cream pasta on a wooden background

    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.
    Overhead shot of lemon garlic sour cream pasta on a wooden background

    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

    Serve up a hearty breakfast with this Italian twist on a shakshuka made with a delicious oregano tomato sauce and finished with a sprinkling of parmesan. #shakshuka #recipe #breakfast #brunch #italianfood

    Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup with Pasta & Beans

    This chicken vegetable soup is a filling and tasty dinner perfect for cold evenings. Serve with some crusty bread and a sprinkling of parmesan. #soup #chicken #recipe #fallrecipes

    How to make pasta sauce with sour cream:

    Recipe

    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!

    Lemon Garlic Sour Cream Pasta

    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!
    4.41 from 50 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 412kcal
    Author: Amy Fulwood

    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
    UK Measures - US Measures

    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.
    Nutrition Facts
    Lemon Garlic Sour Cream Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 412 Calories from Fat 252
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 28g43%
    Saturated Fat 16g80%
    Cholesterol 74mg25%
    Sodium 384mg16%
    Potassium 306mg9%
    Carbohydrates 27g9%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 12g24%
    Vitamin A 3190IU64%
    Vitamin C 8.2mg10%
    Calcium 290mg29%
    Iron 1.9mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Notes

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @amycookreport on Instagram and hashtag it #thecookreport!

    Like the look of this recipe? Make sure you pin it for later!

    Pinterest image for lemon garlic sour cream pasta with text overlay

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    Comments

    1. Marcella says

      August 08, 2023 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      Put my pasta on and my sauce was done at the same time. So quick and easy to use up left over ingredients

      Reply
    2. Jasmine says

      June 17, 2022 at 11:35 pm

      5 stars
      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)

      Reply
    3. sara says

      December 12, 2021 at 1:14 am

      5 stars
      so good! i added sautéed onions and mushrooms too

      Reply
    4. Amelia says

      May 27, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        May 27, 2020 at 6:50 pm

        Thanks Amelia!

        Reply
    5. Olga says

      March 19, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      Amy, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!

      Reply
    6. Alyssa says

      March 19, 2019 at 7:25 am

      5 stars
      Amy, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!

      Reply
    7. Rita Buckberry says

      September 26, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Always score my new tries out if 10. My husband gave it 11. Loved it

      Reply
      • Amy says

        September 27, 2018 at 9:40 am

        LOVE THIS! Thanks so much Rita 🙂

        Reply
    8. Maddy says

      January 23, 2018 at 7:15 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and it taste amazing the hint of lemon with the sour cream is a surprising taste that just works

      Reply
      • Amy says

        January 23, 2018 at 9:47 pm

        Hi Maddy, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply
    9. Helene D'Souza says

      September 10, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      I love creamy lemon garlic pasta, I make it frequently at home. Kind of a fan of lemon flavored meals. 🙂

      Reply
    10. Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says

      September 10, 2017 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    11. Edyta at Innocent Delight says

      September 10, 2017 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      Sour cream sounds really good to me. I love it and I can bet it added a nice flavor to this pasta!

      Reply
    12. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

      September 10, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      I adore lemony pasta sauces, and this one looks fabulous, your shots are stunning!

      Reply
    13. LIsa | Garlic & Zest says

      September 10, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    14. Charlie says

      June 24, 2017 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        June 26, 2017 at 12:31 pm

        Thanks so much Charlie!

        Reply
    4.41 from 50 votes (37 ratings without comment)

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    Photo of Amy in a red jumper wearing glasses

    Hey, I'm Amy Fulwood!

    Recipe creator and photographer here at TheCookReport.co.uk.

    Over here we’re all about delicious healthy recipes to fit around busy schedules and celebrating the joy that comes from an amazing meal.

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