This 15-minute pasta lets you decide how much effort to put in: If you’ve had a day and need an easy, no-nonsense meal, then make it as is and use kitchen shears to cut your scallions. If you’re feeling slightly more ambitious, then make a topping that adds texture, vibrant green color and more lemony flavor to the dish (see Tip). But don’t cut corners when it comes to the yogurt: Use a thick, strained whole-milk yogurt like labneh, Greek or skyr, as it will give the finished dish an irresistibly rich and tangy taste.

Creamy, Lemony Pasta

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt

• 1 pound short curly pasta, such as cavatappi, fusilli or farfalle

• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)

• A heaping 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more as needed

• Black pepper

• 1/4 cup labneh or other thick, strained whole-milk yogurt, such as Greek or skyr, drained if necessary

• 2 scallions, green and white parts, sliced

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil, and cook until just shy of al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta, then return to the pot on the stove over medium-low heat.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the pasta water, half the lemon juice, the Parmesan and several grinds of black pepper, stirring vigorously until a silky sauce has formed. Add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to make a creamier sauce if it looks dry. Stir in the labneh, remaining lemon juice, lemon zest and scallions until creamy and combined, about 1 minute more. Season with salt as needed. Finish with another grind of pepper and serve immediately.

Total time: 15 minutes, serves 4.

Tip:

To make the lemony scallion topping, combine 4 sliced scallions with 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems roughly chopped or torn, the juice of half a lemon and a pinch or two of salt. Serve over the finished pasta.

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