Stranger Foods

Photograph of Pasta with yoghurt and parsley breadcrumbs.

LebanesePasta with yoghurt and parsley breadcrumbs

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 30 mins

Pasta was a favourite of Sami and his older brother Azam when they were kids. Na’ama used to make it two ways. The first was ma’caroneh bil foroun, a kind of Palestinian pasta al forno – juicy thick macaroni soaked in a meaty tomato sauce. Azam and Sami used to tussle over who got to the crispy bits on top first, then race to see who could slurp the tubes of pasta the fastest. Na’ama’s second pasta staple was lighter and more refreshing, baked this time with yoghurt and nuts. This is our take on that. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

Source: Falastin

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

75 ml olive oil
65 g unsalted butter
40 g panko breadcrumbs
15 g parsley, roughly chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
60 g pine nuts
½ tsp smoked paprika
500 g Greek-style yoghurt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 egg yolks
500 g orecchiette (or penne or conchiglie) pasta
Salt and black pepper
5 g basil leaves, roughly torn, to garnish

Instructions

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Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a medium sauté pan along with 15 g of butter. Place on a medium heat and, once bubbling, add the panko breadcrumbs, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for about , stirring often, or until lightly golden. Add 5 g of the parsley and the chilli flakes and continue to cook for another , or until deeply crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper (or a sealed container, if making in advance) and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean and add the remaining 50 g of butter. Place on a medium heat and, once bubbling, add the pine nuts. Cook for , stirring often, then add the paprika. Cook for another , continuing to stir, until the pine nuts are deeply golden. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Put the yoghurt into a large bowl (large enough to hold the pasta once it’s cooked) with the garlic, cumin, egg yolks and the remaining 60 ml of olive oil. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for about (or according to the packet instructions), until al dente. Reserve 60 ml of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta into a sieve. Add the hot pasta to the bowl of yoghurt, along with the 60 ml of reserved cooking liquid and the remaining 10 g of parsley. Stir well to combine, then divide between four shallow bowls. Spoon over the pine nut butter, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, top with the basil and serve at once.

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