Strawberry Sour Cream Pasta (Print version)

Creamy sour cream and fresh strawberries blend with pasta for a light, summery dish with vibrant flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz farfalle or penne pasta
02 - 1 tbsp salt (for boiling water)

→ Strawberry Sauce

03 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
04 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
07 - 1/4 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Creamy Component

09 - 3/4 cup sour cream (full-fat preferred)

→ Garnish

10 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
11 - Optional: 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
12 - Optional: Extra sliced strawberries

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
02 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until strawberries soften and release their juices but retain texture.
03 - Remove the saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in sour cream until smooth and uniformly pink. Adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Add drained pasta to the strawberry-sour cream sauce. Toss gently to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time if the sauce requires thinning.
05 - Divide the coated pasta among plates. Garnish with fresh basil, optional toasted pine nuts, and extra sliced strawberries if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in under 10 minutes and tastes like something youd order at a fusion restaurant that charges three times as much
  • Its the perfect conversation starter pasta—guests always do a double take at the pink sauce, then immediately ask for seconds
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that folding sour cream into hot strawberry sauce turns it into a curdled mess—let the fruit mixture cool for a few minutes first or youll be starting over
  • The pasta water is your insurance policy if the sauce gets too thick or breaks slightly—a little starchy water brings everything back together
03 -
  • Full fat sour cream is worth it here—the low fat version cant handle the heat and your sauce will separate into watery streaks
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need—even an extra quarter cup can save a sauce thats gone too thick
Go back