Recipe: Creamy Labne Pasta

Sprinkled with Za'atar and a Spiced Red Pepper and Mint Drizzle

Publication: March 2025, Issue #10

By now, most people around the world are familiar with the magic of labne (or labneh), but if you’re not, let me introduce you! Labne is a strained yogurt cheese with a tangy, spreadable texture that’s a staple across the Middle East. Ever since moving to Türkiye, it has become a pantry essential. Now that we're back in the States, we either grab it from the nearby Middle Eastern market or make it ourselves at home. If you haven’t checked out my recipe video for labne balls yet, you absolutely need to. Find it HERE.

In a nutshell, I’m a huge fan of labne, and as it turns out, it makes for a seriously delicious pasta sauce too! Inspired by the traditional Turkish way of enjoying mantı, which is served with a garlic yogurt sauce and red pepper oil, and a recipe from Ham El-Waylly for NYT Cooking, I present my version of creamy labne pasta. It’s sprinkled with za'atar and drizzled with a red pepper and dried mint sauce. I love using chunky, extra-large noodles to hold onto the labne sauce, but feel free to choose any pasta shape you prefer. This serves about 5 to 6 people and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

The video reel for this recipe can be found HERE.

Creamy Labne Pasta Sprinkled with Za'atar and a Spiced Red Pepper and Mint Drizzle

Pasta:

• 500g pasta (large chunky noodles or tube-shaped pasta)

• 275g labne

• 35g kosher salt (43–47g / 3 tbsp for boiling water, 7–8g / ½ tbsp for seasoning the pasta)

• 8–10g (1 tbsp) minced garlic (we just used four of the little frozen garlic cubes)

• 3g (½ tbsp) za'atar (only the good stuff. I love THIS brand.)

• 45g (3 tbsp) olive oil

Red Pepper Sauce:

• 30g (2 tbsp) olive oil

• 15g (1 tbsp) butter

• 15g (1 tbsp) Turkish red pepper salça (tomato paste will work but red pepper paste is worth it)

• 2g (1 tbsp) dried mint

• 6g (1 tbsp) pul biber (Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes)

Instructions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta and cook it for 1 minute less than the package instructions to achieve the perfect al dente texture. The pasta will continue cooking once the labne is mixed in, which is why it's important to pull it out a little early.

2. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the red pepper sauce. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Once the butter has melted, stir in 1 tbsp tomato/pepper salça, 1 tbsp pul biber, and 1 tbsp dried mint. Cook until the mixture sizzles, then turn off the heat.

3. When the pasta is ready, drain it but reserve 1–2 cups of pasta water. In the same large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add 1 tbsp minced garlic. Sauté until the garlic is slightly browned, then pour in ½ cup reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta and ½ cup labne, gently folding the labne into the noodles. Use additional pasta water as needed to reach the desired consistency for the sauce. Season with 7–8g (½ tbsp) kosher salt.

4. Plate the pasta and sprinkle it with ½ tbsp za’atar. Drizzle the red pepper sauce over the pasta and serve immediately. Enjoy!