This Creamy, Tangy Pasta Is Better Than Mac and Cheese—and J

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 quart plain whole-milk yogurt (32 ounces; 907 g)

2 large cloves garlic, finely grated or minced

2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 pound (450 g) short tubular pasta, such as penne, cavatappi, or fusilli

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1 large yellow onion (10 ounces; 283 g), finely chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground lamb or 85% lean ground beef

2 1/4 teaspoons (6 3/4 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh parsley leaves

3 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

For the Yogurt Sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, garlic, salt, and lemon juice to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, following timing on package. Drain pasta and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

For the Lamb: While pasta water comes to a boil, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes; immediately transfer to small plate to prevent further darkening. Season with a pinch of salt; set aside. Wipe skillet clean.

In now-empty skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lamb or beef and salt and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until meat is evenly browned and no pink streaks remain, 8 to 10 minutes.

To Assemble Macarona bil Laban: Add pasta to bowl with yogurt sauce and rapidly toss and mix well to combine. Transfer pasta to a large serving dish. Top with cooked meat and pine nuts. Garnish with parsley and mint. Serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 665 kcal
• Total Fat: 44 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 93 mg
• Sodium: 1079 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 38 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 30 g