A Middle Eastern classic yogurt and spiced beef pasta. Creamy and garlicky yogurt sauce, spiced ground beef, and toasted nuts come together with pasta for a delicious comfort dish. Easy, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion!
1poundcavatappi pastaor elbow macaroni, prepared according to package instructions
1pound80% lean ground beef
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1large yellow onion, chopped
2teaspoons7 spices
½teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonsumac
½teaspoonblack pepper
1 teaspoonsalt, or to taste
toasted pine nuts or almonds for topping
Yogurt Sauce
2½cupsplain whole milk yogurt
1teaspoonsumac
1 teaspoonsaltor to taste
1lemon, juiced
6-8garlic clovesminced. This makes it garlicky, so use as much or as little as you'd like.
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
Instructions
Start by boiling the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Add the olive oil to a pot on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent.
Add the ground beef and saute until lightly browned, and most of the pinkness is gone.
Add the salt, black pepper, sumac, 7 spices and ground cinnamon.
Mix everything together well and cook for another few minutes, until completely browned and cooked through.
To Make the Yogurt Sauce
In a large bowl, combine the plain whole milk yogurt, sumac, and salt. Whisk everything together well.
Melt the butter on a pan on medium high heat. Once melted, add the minced garlic.
Saute the garlic until golden brown, making sure to moving it around every so often. This takes about 1-3 minutes.
Once golden, add the garlic and the butter to the yogurt. Whisk well.
To Assemble
Combine the cooked and drained pasta into the yogurt sauce. Mix well until everything is well incorporated.
Add the yogurt pasta to a serving dish, and top with the cooked ground beef mixture.
Finally, top it with some toasted pine nuts or almonds, and some chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Most Macarona Bil Laban recipes call for raw grated garlic in the yogurt sauce. Personally, I love sauteeing the garlic in the butter first. This gives it the best flavor.
If you'd like to skip sauteing the garlic, just grate it and add it to the yogurt, raw. Skip the butter.
Use more or less garlic if you prefer.
You can prep the sauce ahead of time, and prep the cooked beef ahead of time and combine when you're ready to serve.
Serving size (6) is for side dishes/appetizer sizing.