
Lebanese Yogurt Pasta
A beloved Middle Eastern comfort dish featuring tender pasta tossed in a garlicky, lemony yogurt sauce, topped with crispy spiced ground beef and toasted pine nuts. This viral Lebanese classic — known as 'macarona bil laban' — is creamy, tangy, and deeply satisfying, all on the table in under 40 minutes.
4 servings · Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Total 35 min
Middle Eastern · Dinner · Main Course
Ingredients
Open in recipe scaler →Main
12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta or any short pasta
rigatoni pasta
any short pasta
Yogurt Sauce
2 cup full-fat plain yogurt room temperature
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
0.5 tsp salt
Spiced Beef
0.75 lb lean ground beef
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 tsp Lebanese 7-spice (baharat) or a mix of allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper
a mix of allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Garnish
3 tbsp pine nuts toasted
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Equipment
Stovetop
Mixing Bowl
Skillet
Pot
Wooden Spoon
Platter
Serving Platter
Whisk
Knife
Serving Platters (Large)
Tongs
Cutting Board
Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
Colander
Instructions
- Bring a large #[Pot] of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the @[Penne Pasta] according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together the @[Plain Yogurt], @[Garlic] minced, @[Lemon Juice], and @[Salt] in a large #[Mixing Bowl] until smooth. Set aside at room temperature — do not refrigerate, as cold yogurt can seize when it hits hot pasta.
- Heat @[Olive Oil] in a #[Skillet] over ^[medium-high heat]. Add the diced @[Yellow Onion] and sauté for ~[3–4 minutes] until softened and golden. Add the @[Lean Ground Beef], breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for ~[6–8 minutes] until browned and cooked through. Stir in the @[Baharat], @[Cinnamon], and @[Salt]. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- In a dry #[Skillet] over ^[medium heat], toast the @[Pine Nuts] for ~[2–3 minutes], stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Watch carefully — they burn quickly. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add the hot drained @[Penne Pasta] to the @[Plain Yogurt] sauce and toss quickly to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and stir until silky. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Spoon the spiced @[Lean Ground Beef] mixture over the top, then scatter the toasted @[Pine Nuts] and @[Fresh Parsley] over everything. Serve immediately.





