This utter delight is my version of an Arabic dish called ‘macarona bil laban’ or macaroni with yogurt. It’s very indulgent, delicious pasta shells mixed with rich garlicky yogurt, served with crispy spiced lamb and chilli butter. It’s very indulgent and ready to rock in about 20 minutes. Say hello to your new comfort classic.
Method
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until soft.
- Crank the heat up to high and chuck the lamb into the pan. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes until everything is a little golden and a little crispy. Drain off some of the excess fat after a few minutes. This helps it get more golden and crispy.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, Turkish pepper flakes and Baharat. Mix well to release the flavours. Add the red pepper paste, tomatoes and 250ml of just boiled water into the pan. Mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes to thicken or until the tomatoes have broken down into a thick sauce. Check the seasoning and add more salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes or according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain well, keeping some of the pasta water and return the pasta to the saucepan. Add the yogurt, between 30-50ml of the pasta water and a good pinch of salt. Mix until super creamy.
- To serve, tip the pasta onto a serving plate and top with the lamb. Scatter over the pine nuts and parsley. Grab your bowls and dive on in.
Ingredients
serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
400g lamb mince (15-20% fat)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp Turkish pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp baharat
2 tbsp red pepper paste or tomato puree
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
400g pasta shells
150g yogurt (get the fullest fattest you can)
15g toasted pine nuts
A handful of finely chopped parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
