Strawberry Sour Cream Pasta (Print View)

Pasta tossed in a creamy strawberry and sour cream sauce with fresh basil and optional pine nuts.

# Components:

→ 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, then drain and set pasta 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 retain some texture.
03 - Remove the strawberry mixture from heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in sour cream until the sauce is smooth and evenly tinted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Add drained pasta to the saucepan with the strawberry-sour cream sauce. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time if the sauce requires thinning.
05 - Divide the coated pasta among serving plates. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, optional toasted pine nuts, and extra strawberry slices as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels fancy and impressive but comes together in 25 minutes flat, even on a weeknight.
  • The sauce is naturally lighter than cream-heavy pasta dishes, leaving you satisfied but not sluggish.
  • It tastes like summer caught in a bowl, bright and different from everything else you make on repeat.
02 -
  • Sour cream and heat are enemies—add it off the heat or it breaks into grainy, separated sadness, which I learned the hard way on attempt number two.
  • The pasta water is not optional; its starch is what transforms the sour cream from a dollop into a silky, clinging sauce that tastes intentional.
03 -
  • Reserve the pasta water before you drain—most pasta fails happen here because people forget this one step.
  • Slice the basil on a clean cutting board right before serving; pre-sliced basil sitting around turns dark and bitter and tastes like sadness.
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