Greek Yogurt Pasta
- PREP 10min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 25min
This easy pasta recipe transforms simple Greek yogurt into a creamy, protein-packed pasta sauce. You just toss plain yogurt with Parmesan, bacon, and a splash of hot, starchy pasta water to pull it all together. We both love the addition of bacon, as it brings a smoky, sweet flavor that perfectly counters the tangy yogurt. While we use snap peas below, feel free to swap them out for broccoli florets or English peas.
You Will Need
Fine sea salt
12 ounces (340 g) pasta, such as penne or spiral
1 (16-ounce / 454 g) package frozen sugar snap peas
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 ounces Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, finely grated on a microplane, 1 heaping packed cup (55g), plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1 lemon, halved
Fresh chives, finely chopped, for serving
Directions
1Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and set a timer for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. When the timer goes off, add the frozen sugar snap peas. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and snap peas.
2Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. If the bacon renders an excessive amount of fat, carefully spoon off and discard the excess, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
3Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the drained pasta and snap peas, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, ⅓ cup of the reserved pasta water, and black pepper. Toss well to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, gently stir in more of the reserved pasta water a splash at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
4Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the pasta, toss once more, and serve topped with chives, a few generous grinds of pepper, and additional Parmesan.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.