Scrumptious Lemony Pasta Bliss

1. Cook the Pasta

Warm up your kitchen with a pot of bubbling water, seasoned generously with kosher salt. Dive into your pasta stash and emerge with a pound of playful shapes—cavatappi, fusilli, or farfalle. Plunge them into the pot and let them swim until they're just shy of al dente, snatching them from the water a couple of minutes before the package dares to suggest.

2. Prepare Lemon and Cheese

As your pasta takes the heat, seize the moment to finesse the zest and juice from a sun-kissed lemon, capturing the essence of citrus in a tablespoon of zest and a trio of tablespoons in juice. Grate the Parmesan until you have a snowy mound of about ¾ cup, ready to melt into your dish. If the labneh or its creamy cousins—thick, strained whole-milk yogurt, be it Greek or skyr—are on the liquid side, give them a drain to ensure they're primed for saucing.

3. Combine Pasta with Lemon

Once the pasta's had its bath, drain it while reserving a cup of its starchy spa water. Return the pasta to its warm pot, stirring in half of the lemon juice and a generous splash—about 3/4 cup—of the reserved water. Keep the pot over a medium-low flame, just enough heat to whisper to the ingredients, encouraging them to meld.

4. Create the Sauce

Now, invite black pepper to the party, grinding it fresh over the pot as a prelude to the Parmesan. Introduce the cheese gradually, stirring with purpose but gentleness to coax the mixture into a velvety sauce that clings to the pasta rather than clumps.

5. Finish with Labneh and Scallions

The final flourish comes with the remaining lemon juice, the labneh, and the zest. Stir them in along with the scallions, slivers of green that bring a hint of brightness both in flavor and hue. Taste, and then let the salt join in if needed, finishing with another round of black pepper to complete the seasoning ritual.