Laban bi Macaroni
My best friend in high school was Lebanese, and I still remember trying this at her house for the first time. I was so obsessed that I demanded it become a staple in our household too, and years later, here we are! Creamy garlic yoghurt pasta topped with spiced beef mince and toasted pine nuts. It’s so easy to make, my kids love it, and it’s on high rotation in our house. So many Levantine families will know a version of this one, and for good reason! If you’re not a huge garlic person, start with 8 cloves. Personally, I think all 12 are necessary haha. Save this one and let me know if you try it!
Serves: 4-5
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
500 g pasta of choice
Drizzle of olive oil
500 g beef mince
¼ tsp pimento (allspice)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp salt, or to taste
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 kg Greek-style yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt
1½ cups reserved pasta water, slightly cooled
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Method
Step 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving 1½ cups of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
Step 2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mince, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric and salt. Cook for 8–12 minutes until browned and any excess liquid has evaporated. Remove and set aside.
Step 3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over super low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Turn heat off. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Step 4. Add the yoghurt to the pan with the garlic and whisk the yoghurt until smooth. Add salt then whisk in the reserved pasta water until creamy and well combined, then add the drained pasta and toss to coat.
Step 5. Transfer the pasta to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the spiced mince, toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley. Serve immediately!
Use hashtags #LLMealPrep, #LadyLolas and tag @lady.lolas when you try one of my recipes or share an image of your meal prep on social media so that I can feature you on my Instagram story.
Subscribe to Lady Lolas to receive updates when my new blogs and recipes are uploaded
