Hey, you never know.

Lemon and pasta are far from a strange combination in this house.  We're big fans.

I never made a baked version though, and became curious while browsing The Pioneer Woman's site.  Sour cream?  Really?  It made me skeptical, but I still gave it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised!  It was light, refreshing and best of all, VERY easy to make.  The cheese, parsley and lemon are always a big hit together, and the sour cream didn't turn me off like I thought it might.  The leftovers heated up well, too.

This is a great summer dish, and definitely one to consider when feeding a crowd.

Baked Lemon Pasta
slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups light sour cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
grated pecorino romano cheese
chopped parsley
extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook spaghetti until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Melt butter and oil in a skillet over low heat.  Add garlic, then lemon juice.  Turn heat off, then add sour cream and stir to combine.  Add lemon zest and salt, and taste to adjust salt if necessary.  Pour mixture over pasta and stir, then transfer to an oven safe dish if needed.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for another 8-10 minutes, making sure not to dry out pasta.  Remove from oven and add extra lemon juice, cheese and parsley.

Serves 8.