Description
Yogurt Pasta is a flavorful and creamy dish topped with spiced ground beef and toasted pine nuts, offering a delicious fusion of tangy yogurt sauce and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups plain Balkan-style yogurt
- 4–6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup pasta water (cooled)
- 3 cups uncooked pasta
- 1 tbsp ghee (optional, if using lean ground beef)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Middle Eastern 7 spice
- 1 tsp curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Optional: additional smoked paprika for dusting
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until slightly past al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain and toss pasta in 1–2 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare yogurt sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, minced garlic, dried mint, dried parsley, salt, and cooled pasta water. Mix until smooth.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Toss the cooked pasta in the yogurt sauce until fully coated. Set aside.
- Make beef topping: In a skillet over medium-high heat, add ghee if using lean beef. Brown the ground beef, then add 7 spice, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Once beef is no longer pink, stir in chopped onion. Cook for 8–10 minutes until beef is slightly charred and onions are soft.
- Toast pine nuts: In a separate small pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir until golden brown. Remove from heat, then add butter (1 tbsp at a time), red pepper flakes (optional), and smoked paprika. Whisk until butter is melted and infused.
- Assemble: Spoon the ground beef mixture over the yogurt pasta. Drizzle with pine nut butter sauce and garnish with fresh parsley and optional smoked paprika. Serve warm.
Notes
- You can adjust the spice level by varying the amount of red pepper flakes.
- If you prefer a lighter version, you can substitute the ghee with olive oil for the beef topping.
- This dish pairs well with a simple salad or roasted vegetables.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg