Pioneer Woman baked lemon pasta is a quick vegetarian dinner with thin spaghetti, sour cream, fresh lemon juice and garlic, ready in just 45 minutes. That makes it a go-to for weeknight dinners, spring potlucks or easy summer side dishes, since the citrus and sour cream keep it light.
Keep the heat low when you melt butter and add garlic, since even a little browning turns it bitter and wrecks the clean lemon flavor. Pulling the skillet off the heat before adding sour cream also prevents the sauce from splitting.
Ree swaps the usual cream for sour cream, which gives the pasta a tangy kugel quality you won’t find in other lemon pastas. Baking it covered then uncovered also builds a barely golden top that stovetop versions can’t match.
Pioneer Woman Baked Lemon Pasta
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes30
minutes575
kcalThin spaghetti coated in a tangy garlic and lemon sauce with sour cream, then baked until the noodles soften and the top gets lightly crispy.
Ingredients
1 lb. thin spaghetti
4 tbsp. salted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole lemon, juiced and zested
2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
Plenty of grated Parmesan cheese
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Extra lemon juice
Directions
- Prep the pasta: Preheat oven to 375°F, then cook the thin spaghetti until al dente before draining and rinsing with cold water.
- Make the lemon sauce: Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet over low heat, then add minced garlic once the butter is fully melted.
- Add the citrus: Squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet, then turn off the heat so it doesn’t cook down.
- Build the sauce: Stir in the sour cream, lemon zest and kosher salt until everything comes together, then taste and add more salt if needed.
- Combine and bake: Pour the sauce over the drained spaghetti and toss to coat, then transfer to an oven-safe dish and bake covered with foil for 15 minutes.
- Brown the top: Remove the foil and bake for 7 to 10 more minutes until the top barely turns golden, since overbaking dries the pasta out.
- Finish and serve: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the hot pasta, then top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped flat-leaf parsley before serving.
FAQs
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Full-fat Greek yogurt works well as a swap, though the sauce will be slightly thicker and less tangy than with sour cream, so add an extra squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor back up.
How long does baked lemon pasta last in the fridge?
It keeps in an airtight container for up to 3 days, since the sour cream base holds up well when chilled. Once you reheat a portion though, add a splash of water because the pasta absorbs moisture as it sits.
Can I make this ahead and bake it later?
Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and refrigerate it in the baking dish for up to 6 hours before you need it. Once it goes in the oven cold, add about 5 extra minutes of covered baking time so the center heats through.
Do I need a special baking dish?
Any oven-safe dish around 3 quarts works, so a 9×13 casserole or deep pie plate does the job. Avoid shallow pans though, since the pasta dries out fast without tall sides to hold in moisture.
Why did my pasta come out dry?
Overbaking is the most common cause, so start checking at 7 minutes after you remove the foil and pull it the moment the top turns golden. Skipping the full 2 cups of sour cream or the final lemon squeeze also leaves things too dry.
