Sour Cream Pasta
Sour cream pasta is a super simple pasta recipe with a creamy indulgent texture. This timeless flavor combination is inspired by the classic chip dip flavor sour cream and onion. Sour cream provides a refreshing tang, mellowing the sharpness of the shallots and chives in this charming pasta dish.
What we love about sour cream pasta
- The best part about sour cream pasta? It is so simple and quick to make, but the flavors pair so perfectly that it’s supremely satisfying to eat.
- This is a great last-minute meal recipe to follow. You can absolutely add some veggies or protein if you like, a fresh bell pepper, broccoli or some pan seared chicken breast would be great options to mix in a bit more nutrients.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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- Sour cream – This is a must have for this recipe – it adds creaminess, tanginess and creates the velvety, thick texture of the sauce.
- Shallots – We chose shallots for their milder flavor – this recipe will work with any white, yellow or vidalia onion you might have on hand, red onion might be a bit too strong and peppery tasting.
- Chives – Chives have a milder flavor than green onions but both would work, if using green onion try using a little less or skipping the additional garnish.
- Pecorino romano cheese – This adds additional sharpness to the sauce, plus a little salt. It also helps create the thick texture, so if you don’t have it or can’t find it try using a grated romano or parmesan.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this sour cream pasta recipe
Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions to al denté. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
Make the sauce. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and sour cream until warmed through. Add pecorino romano cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth.
Toss it together. Return pasta to the pot and stir until pasta is well coated in sauce, then stir in chives. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time, if needed. Serve immediately.
Everything you need to know about sour cream pasta
Sometimes these two ingredients can be used in place of each other but we would not recommend swapping them for this recipe unless you feel confident it adjusting recipes. Sour cream is thicker and tangier than heavy cream with a lower amount of fat. For this recipe, the flavor of the sour cream is a key element of the dish so it will have a much different flavor in the finished result. We love how the sour cream compliments the rest of the ingredients and we really like that this dish is slightly lighter and less rich than a recipe that uses heavy cream.
Sour cream does work as a thickening agent for this recipe and it helps us get the consistency we want for the sauce. It doesn’t thicken quite as well as a heavy cream would but it works wonders for this dish.
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Sour Cream Pasta
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Sour cream pasta is a super simple pasta recipe with a creamy indulgent texture. This timeless flavor combination is inspired by the classic chip dip flavor sour cream and onion. Sour cream provides a refreshing tang, mellowing the sharpness of the shallots and chives in this charming pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spiral pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, minced (about ⅓ cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions, to al denté. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic and shallots. Sauté shallots until translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low, and whisking in the milk. Allow milk to warm through, then stir in sour cream and grated pecorino romano.
- Continue to whisk until sauce is smooth, adding pasta water if needed.
- Return pasta to pot and stir until it is well coated with sauce.
- Stir in fresh chives then season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Spiral
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 230.4 mg
- Fat: 8.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.9 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 11.4 g
- Cholesterol: 21.9 mg
