Sour cream pasta: a creamy dreamy warm pasta dish drenched in sauce and topped with chives! Really easy to make and a treat for both kids and adults! Ready to serve in 20 minutes.
So this sour cream pasta may not be much of a looker, I admit, but it’s the most delicious and comforting dish you can whip out in a hurry. With a handful of familiar ingredients you might already have in your pantry and fridge, straightforward steps, and just 20 minutes of your time, it really doesn’t ask for much. And yet, it is such a hit!
If creamy pasta is what you dig, do try this chickpea pasta and this broccoli kale pasta. Both will bring a smile to your face. And if you can’t live without chicken, you’ve got to try this instant pot chicken stroganoff with egg noodles, a mostly hands off recipe.
Ingredients
Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.
- Pasta – I had a packet of rigatoni so that’s what I used, but you can choose any type of pasta like penne or ziti. All of them will hold the sauce well.
- Butter (salted) – the more the better! No, 3 tablespoons will do!
- Garlic (crushed or minced) – because garlic makes everything taste so much nicer.
- Flour – to thicken the sauce
- Milk
- Sour cream – this is what gives the pasta its distinctive taste. Use full-fat if you can and don’t skimp on it.
- Chives – for the onion taste. You can use scallions too.
- Olive oil – not pictured here, but I did add 1 tablespoon in the end to smoothen the sauce further.
- Optional ingredients – ground black pepper and red pepper flakes for a little heat if you can stand it.
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta – Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Drain and reserve some of the pasta water. Keep aside.
2. Make the roux – In a large pan, melt the butter on low heat and add the garlic. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the flour little by little, stirring as you go along so it doesn’t clump up.
3. Add the milk gently and allow the sauce to thicken – it will thicken in a matter of seconds, so keep stirring! If the sauce gets too thick after you have added the milk, use some of that reserved pasta water to get it back to the right consistency. If using the black pepper and red pepper flakes, add them in now. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool down.
4. Stir in the sour cream – fold it in gently until mixed with the roux.
5. Add the pasta – add the cooked pasta and make sure it is well coated in the sauce. If you want to smoothen the sauce further, add some olive oil. Finally top with chopped chives and serve warm.
Top tips for a smooth and silky sauce
- Keep the heat low and slow at all times while making the sauce. Your aim is to make sure the garlic and flour gets cooked nicely without any browning. This makes for a golden sauce without anything tasting raw.
- Reserve some pasta water while draining the pasta. If the sauce gets too thick, this pasta water comes in handy in loosening it up.
- The garlic does burn quite easily, so keep an eye on it while sautéing it.
- Don’t dump the flour all at once into the butter. To make a smooth roux, use a sieve to add the flour in increments and keep stirring it while it is cooking to prevent lumps.
Do NOT add the sour cream to the sauce while it is hot! Sour cream separates when heated, so wait for the sauce to cool down before adding the sour cream.
Sour Cream Pasta
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan for cooking the pasta
- 1 large pan for making the sauce
- 1 large wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 10 oz pasta rigatoni
- 3 tbsp butter salted
- ¾ tsp garlic crushed
- 1 ½ tbsp flour all purpose
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream full fat
- 1 bunch chives chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper optional
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Drain and keep aside, but reserve some of the pasta water for loosening the sauce later if required.
- In a large pan, melt the butter on low heat and add the garlic. Sauté for a few seconds. Don't let the garlic brown up.
- Add the flour little by little, stirring as you go along so it doesn’t clump up.
- Add the milk and let the sauce thicken. Stir it continuously as the sauce will thicken in a few seconds. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. If using the black pepper and red pepper flakes, add them in now. Take the pan off the heat and let the sauce cool down.
- Stir in the sour cream and mix it into the sauce, using a spoon.
- Add the cooked pasta, olive oil, and chives and mix to coat with the sauce. Top with more chives and serve warm.
Notes
- Keep the heat low and slow at all times while making the sauce. Your aim is to make sure the garlic and flour gets cooked nicely without any browning. This makes for a golden sauce without anything tasting raw.
- Reserve some pasta water while draining the pasta. If the sauce gets too thick, this pasta water comes in handy in loosening it up.
- The garlic does burn quite easily, so keep an eye on it while sautéing it.
- Don’t dump the flour all at once into the butter. To make a smooth roux, use a sieve to add the flour in increments and keep stirring it while it is cooking to prevent lumps.