Yogurt Pasta

Middle Eastern Yogurt Pasta

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

This is a recipe that means a lot to me. When I was younger, I used to go spend the night at my grandmothers house. I always looked forward to her making this pasta for me the next day. I LOVED it. She showed me how to make it many times, but I never seemed to get it right. When I asked her for her secret she told me she made it for someone she loved. I now understand that. When I make it for myself it just isn't that big of a deal, but when my siblings ask for it, it tastes totally different! So yes, this recipe is close to my heart, and it is definitely my kind of comfort food. At 20, I still enjoy going to my grandmothers, because I still look forward to the wonderful aroma as she cooks this dish for me. So THANK YOU Tata. Thanks for showing me the true secret to cooking with love!
This pasta is a great go-to meal and is really easy to prepare. Since I am Middle Eastern, I always have plain yogurt and Labne on hand. The plain yogurt you can grab at any grocery store but the Labne is from a middle eastern market. Now, I know it's a hassle to grab things you don't use often, so you can substitute the Labne with Sour Cream. It won't affect the taste of the recipe, and you will still have a quick and tasty lunch or dinner! Another great thing about this pasta is it's usually made without protein. Now, if you want to add the protein for a dinner, I have included the traditional meat recipe as well. A little tip I have about this pasta is don't mix the yogurt sauce with the pasta until before you are going to eat it. If you do want to pack it as a lunch for school/work, then I suggest you pack the yogurt sauce separately from the pasta, that way you can heat the pasta and then add the yogurt. If you do heat it with the yogurt sauce, it gets dry and doesn't taste as good! Overall, I hope you enjoy this pasta, because it goes great with almost everything and is ALWAYS a favorite!

Ingredients:

Pasta
1 lb. Elbow Macaroni
1/2 tsp All Spice
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Sauce
1 lb. Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Labne or Sour Cream
1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1/2  tsp Salt

Meat
1 lb. Ground Beef 80% Lean
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (Diced)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp All Spice
Dash Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp Pine Nuts

Directions:
Start by boiling the water for the pasta. This way you can finish everything else as it is cooking. Now you can prepare the meat and yogurt sauce. If you do not want protein, then just skip until the next section.
Pour the olive oil in a saucepan and heat through. Add the onions and saute until almost translucent. Add the beef and cook till browned. Add all of the spicing and cover with a lid. Lower the stove to medium and cook covered for about 15 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook uncovered for about 2 minutes. The meat is ready. Set aside until needed.
The water is probably boiling. Add the pasta and set your timer according to the package. Now start the yogurt sauce. In a Large bowl whisk the yogurt, labne/sour cream, minced garlic, and salt until smooth.
Strain the pasta well, and while it is still in the strainer, add the all spice and ground black pepper. Mix well with a spoon so all the pasta is evenly coated. Add the pasta to the yogurt sauce and mix till all the pasta is coated with the yogurt sauce. It smells terrific and makes the most beautiful sound as it is being coated. Sprinkle all the ground beef mixture onto the pasta and ENJOY!