An unusual pasta sauce

good morning! while i sit here and contemplate going back to bed, i thought i’d get cracking on some blogging. time to get back in the swing of things. so here we go – the first meal from my kitchen in almost a month! and i didn’t have to lift a finger because a certain fiance made it for me the night i got back.

we spoke on the phone at one point while i was in san diego and he told me about this pasta dish he made for himself which included a yogurt sauce. at first i thought that sounded… gross? but he assured me it was delicious and would make it for me when i got home. the man doesn’t lie.

so here it is – phil’s very own recipe for an unusual pasta sauce that tastes surprisingly good. when you’re sick of tomatoes, give this a try.

pasta with yogurt sauce

serves 2

the particulars:

250g pasta (we used quinoa elbows, but feel free to substitute with whatever you’d like – just don’t use spaghetti or linguine)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 red chilis, finely chopped
250g prawns (cooked and peeled)
4 heaped tbsp plain yogurt (we used goat’s yogurt)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp dried oregano
salt + pepper
olive oil


start boiling the pasta water. once it is up to the boil and the pasta is in, get started on the sauce in another pan.
fry the garlic and chilis in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes. add the prawns, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
turn the heat up and add the herbs and lime juice. let it sizzle for a minute, then add the yogurt. stir well and season – let it warm through, then turn the heat off.
at this point, the pasta should be cooked. drain it, and combine the sauce and pasta in one pan. toss to coat and serve hot.

lesson learned: obviously, this is a dairy-free version of a creamy pasta sauce – one you might like to use cream or creme fraiche with – but the yogurt brings its own unique flavor to the dish. i promise it’s good!