Pasta with Yogurt, Peas, and Chile

DO NOT read this recipe and go….ewww!! These big flavors and ingredients are magical together. Jerusalem, the highly touted cookbook created by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, always seems to get it right. The recipe calls for Greek yogurt to create a cream based sauce. Toss in garlic, olive oil, feta, fresh basil, and pine nuts to make one of the best pasta dishes you will ever eat! This is utter perfection in a bowl. For a quick weeknight dinner, give this tasty, fresh and healthy pasta a try. Past favorite recipes from Jerusalem (and Plenty) are Marinated Mozzerella and Spinach Salad with Dates.

Pasta with Yogurt, Peas and Chile

Serves 6

2 ½ cups whole-milk Greek yogurt
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed or pressed
1 pound fresh or thawed frozen peas (I used 1/2 pound) If you LOVE peas use the whole pound.
Kosher salt
1 pound shell pasta (They fill up with lots of goodies)

½ cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons Turkish or Syrian chile flakes, or red pepper flakes
1  2/3 cups basil leaves, coarsely torn
8 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled   (I used 6 ounces)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yogurt, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, and 2/3 cup of the peas. Process to a uniform pale green sauce, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. (Makes lots of sauce….I only used enough to make it to my desired consistency….had about 1 cup left.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt. Add the pasta, and cook until it is al dente. While the pasta cooks, warm the remaining olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and chile flakes, and cook for 4 minutes, or until the pine nuts are golden and the oil is deep red. Also, warm the remaining peas in some boiling water (I put a small strainer in the pasta as it was cooking, about 1 minute), then drain.

Drain the cooked pasta well into a colander. Add the pasta gradually to the yogurt sauce (in your serving bowl); adding it all at once may cause the yogurt to separate. Add the warm peas, the basil, feta, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss gently. Serve immediately, with pine nuts and chile oil spooned over each serving.

Plan for leftovers as this is delicious the next day served cold. Think picnic.

Next time I make this I will lighten the recipe using low-fat yogurt and whole wheat pasta,

Adapted slightly from: Jeruselem, by Yotem Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi