Description
A simple yet luxurious Mediterranean-inspired pasta dish made with creamy Greek yogurt, deeply caramelized onions, and sharp cheese. It’s a comforting and satisfying vegetarian meal that comes together with minimal ingredients.
Ingredients
- 400 g dried pasta (such as penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- 2 cups thick Greek-style yogurt
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
- 1 cup finely grated hard cheese (such as kefalotyri, pecorino-style, or aged sheep’s milk cheese)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, reduce heat to medium-low, season with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deeply golden and caramelized, about 20–30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside with their oil.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then cook the pasta until fully tender (not al dente).
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
- In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water until smooth. Add more water if needed for a pourable sauce.
- Toss the hot pasta with the yogurt mixture until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese and generous spoonfuls of caramelized onions and their oil.
Notes
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt for best texture and flavor.
- Caramelize onions slowly for maximum sweetness and depth.
- Do not overheat the yogurt sauce to avoid curdling.
- Pasta shapes like penne or fusilli work best to catch the sauce.
- Serve immediately for optimal creaminess and flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
