Strawberry Sour Cream Pasta (Printable Version)

A refreshing pasta with creamy sour cream and sweet-tangy strawberries for a perfect summer dish.

# 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

# How to Make It:

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, then drain pasta and set aside.
02 - Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until strawberries soften and release juices but remain slightly textured.
03 - Remove saucepan from heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in sour cream until mixture is smooth and evenly tinted pink. Adjust seasoning to taste if necessary.
04 - Add drained pasta to the saucepan with the strawberry-sour cream sauce. Toss gently to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
05 - Divide pasta among serving plates. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, optional toasted pine nuts, and extra sliced strawberries if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer decided to become dinner—bright, creamy, and utterly unexpected in the best way.
  • You'll have it on the table in under 30 minutes, which means lazy weeknight dinners that still feel a little bit fancy.
  • People always ask for the recipe because they can't quite believe strawberries and pasta work together until they taste it.
02 -
  • Don't let the strawberries cook too long or they'll turn to jam instead of staying tender with texture—you want softness, not disintegration.
  • Add the sour cream after the pan cools slightly, because dumping it into bubbling-hot strawberry juice can make it grainy and separated, which feels wrong when you taste it.
03 -
  • Buy strawberries that smell sweet even before you taste them—your nose knows what your eyes can't tell about ripeness.
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry pan for thirty seconds if you have them; they go from forgettable to unforgettable with just a little heat and attention.
Go Back