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PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND YOGURT SAUCE

A simple pasta dish with a creamy 'Alfredo' sauce made out of yogurt and pecorino cheese. And topped with smokey, sweet caramelized onions
Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups (1.4 litre) sliced onions (I slice them from top to tail, to keep more structure to the onions
  • sea salt
  • 1 lb (450 g) of tagliatelle or linguini etc
  • 2 cups (450 g) thick Greek yogurt (or else strain a looser yogurt- see the Notes below)
  • 1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
  • freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 tsp hot chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Add the onions and drop the heat to medium.

  3. Cook, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt to taste as you go, until the onions are soft and a lovely burnished brown (about 45-55 minutes)

  4. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Season with a good amount of salt.
  5. Add the pasta and cook until ready (al dente)
  6. Reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
  7. Combine the yogurt and 1/4 cup of the water in a large bowl Add more water as needed to get the consistency you desire. At this point I would add some heat with the chili flakes.
  8. Toss the pasta with the yogurt sauce.
  9. Serve the pasta immediately, sprinkling the cheese all over the pasta, and topped with the onions and any of their reserved juices.

  10. Add freshly cracked pepper over everything.

Recipe Notes

f you are not using thick Greek yogurt, line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Add the yogurt and let it drain for at least 2 hours before proceeding with the recipe.

Feel free to add chopped spinach or chard to the pasta just before it is finished cooking, and then drain all at the same time. Or blend the sauce with peas and freshly chopped mint.

Despite the simple ingredients, it is a rather rich dish, and this is why I state that it feeds 6. But it may only feed 4 very hungry people!!

Adapted from Genius Recipes