Spiced Lamb and Dill Yoghurt Pasta

Ingredients for Spiced Lamb and Dill Yoghurt Pasta

• 3 large egg yolks

• 475ml kefir (cultured milk) or plain whole-milk yoghurt

• 3 cups (lightly packed) dill fronds with tender stems (about 1 large bunch), divided

• 3 garlic cloves, divided

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 110g pine nuts or slivered almonds

• 70g dried currants or raisins

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 450g lamb mince

• 450g orecchiette or other short pasta

• 1/2 lemon

Combine egg yolks, kefir, and 1 1/2 cups dill in a blender; finely grate in 1 garlic clove and blend until smooth. Set purée aside. Finely chop remaining 1 1/2 cups dill and set aside separately.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add dried currants and cook, stirring often, until plump, about 1 minute. Scrape nut mixture into a small bowl; season with salt.

Wipe out skillet and heat over medium-high. Stir together cumin, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Place lamb in pan and use a sturdy spatula to aggressively flatten (like you’re making smash burgers); sprinkle spice mixture over. Cook, undisturbed, until lamb is well browned and crisp underneath, about 4 minutes. Hold back meat and drain off all of the fat. Break up meat into small pieces and mix in reserved nut mixture. Finely grate in remaining 2 garlic cloves and add reserved chopped dill. Cook, stirring, until herbs are wilted, about 1 minute. Set aside until pasta is ready.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute shy of al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Drain pasta and return to pot.

Pour reserved purée over pasta and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens enough to cling to pasta and just comes to a simmer, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; finely grate zest from lemon half over pasta, then squeeze in juice. Season with salt.

Divide pasta among bowls and top with lamb mixture.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.