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Sunday, May 25, 2008

Pasta with Tzatziki and Lebna Sauce



For the record - and as you're about to discover - I make a very quirky tzatziki sauce, and even quirkier lebnah cheese. The only explanation for my tzatziki sauce is a humble claim to inauthenticity, the vague excuse that my Mediterranean heritage comes from the middle-eastern side of the region, and the fact that somehow I didn't discover tzatziki sauce until I was in the US at a Moroccan restaurant, after which I promptly went home, tried to recreate the sauce by stirring some things together, was completely delighted with the result, and only afterwards learned that no, I had made my tzatziki sauce all wrong... My lebna cheese is much more rational - even though lebna is traditionally made with whole milk Greek yogurt, producing an end result of a thick, spreadable cheese, I fancy my lebna on the softer side, such that it reminds me of lebin - a creamy, yogurt-like concoction just thick enough to eat with a spoon and just thin enough to savor through a straw, which I adoringly and faithfully consumed for breakfast every day when I was in Israel as a child. Hence, I actually prefer lebna made with low fat yogurt, with just a bit of low fat cream cheese for thickening purposes... The result is a divinely creamy yet still light and airy dip and sauce... which, the other night, we combined with some leftover tzatziki sauce - and tzatziki-lebna pasta was born!



Whole Wheat Pasta with Tzatziki and Lebna Sauce

* For the Tzatziki Sauce *
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 T dill
1/2 tsp salt
~ Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until well-combined.



* For the Lebna *
1 lb. low fat plain yogurt
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
salt to taste
z'aatar spice, to taste, if you have it on hand
Olive oil
~ Line a mesh strainer with two layers of paper towel (my extra-economical version of cheesecloth!). Set the strainer inside a large bowl.
~ Pour the yogurt into the paper towel lined strainer. Cover, and set the whole contraption in the fridge overnight.
~ The next morning, lift the strainer out of the bowl and discard the liquid in the bowl. Pour the now thickened yogurt out of the strainer and into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the 4 oz cream cheese, and whip until fluffy and well combined.
~ Season to taste with salt and z'aatar. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil for the final touch...



* For the final, end-product pasta dish *
Tzatziki sauce (from above)
Lebna (from above)
12 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked until al dente according to package directions
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed OR 1 lb. lean pork, cubed OR 1 lb firm tofu, pressed to remove moisture and then cubed
4 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 T marjoram
1 T rosemary
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
~ In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is limp and translucent. Stir in the marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper.
~ Add the chicken or pork or tofu, and continue to saute until the chicken or pork is cooked through and very tender OR until the tofu is cooked through and just turning golden around the edges. Remove from the heat.



~ In a large serving bowl, fold the chicken/ or pork/ or tofu and the lebna and the tzatziki sauce into the pasta. Return to the skillet and reheat if desired - it's fabulous warm or cold! Serve with warm pita bread or lavash (one of my favorite things ever...)


7 comments:

  1. Astra, this actually does look and sound wonderful! A nice departure from the usual Mac & cheese.

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  2. Looks so creamy and good! Love it that you used fat free / low fat ingredients. To look at it I don't believe anyone could tell!

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  3. Astra, I would love to try your lebna. It sounds fantastic. Does it have to be regular yogurt or could I use the thick, strained Greek kind and just mix it w/ the cream cheese?

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  4. Your every recipe is a real find for me! Pasta with tzatziki and lebna sauce is not an exception!!

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  5. OH, this is so good. i will be bookmarking it.

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  6. Peter, thank you so much! You know, you must have read my mind - after I mixed the pasta in with the sauce I looked at the end product and said "hmmm, it kind of looks like mac and cheese..." :-)

    JJ, thank you so much! I love it when low fat versions taste every bit like a full fat version - it's one of my cooking goals!

    Susan, thank you so much - I'm thrilled that you'd like to try the recipe! Absolutely, you can use the Greek yogurt - it will be equally scrumptious! I hope you enjoy!

    Anya, as always, your kind words warm my day... Thank you!

    Maybelles Parents, thank you so much for visiting! I'm delighted that you've booked marked the recipe - I hope you enjoy!

    CookieMouse, thank you! :-)

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