At one of my dinners, I hosted Greek and Italian friends. During the meal, my Greek friend argued that Italians stole pasta from the Greeks. I refrained from stating my belief that it was the Chinese who actually invented pasta. This “stolen” pasta dish is my take on a Levantine recipe. It is incredibly delicious and reminds me very much of fettuccine alfredo.
Ingredients:
- ½ lb spaghetti
- ¼ cup labne
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup zaatar
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and let it boil. Then, add the pasta to the water and boil for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the olive oil and sliced garlic. Stir while cooking until the garlic is golden brown.
- Add the spaghetti and 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Simmer until it becomes a thick and watery sauce.
- Turn the heat to low and add the labneh, mixing it thoroughly to ensure the pasta is well coated. Be careful not to let it boil.
- Transfer the pasta to a bowl, add a generous amount of zaatar, and drizzle with olive oil.
