Your advance effort in making this recipe will be rewarded when dinnertime comes and you can quickly throw together a beautiful, show-stopping dish in moments.

2 cups whole-milk yogurt
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
Sea salt
1 lb fettuccine
2 cups fresh herbs (a mixture of chervil, basil, parsley, chives and fennel frond), roughly chopped
2 oz Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced (optional)
1 bunch green onions
1 cup grated pecorino
Extra-virgin olive oil to garnish

1. The day before, fold a long piece of cheesecloth in fourths. Spoon yogurt into its center and tie the bundle to the center of a long wooden spoon. Suspend the spoon across a bowl. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, during which time the yogurt will drain and become thick, leaving a pool of whey in the bowl beneath. Remove yogurt from cheesecloth and bring to room temperature. Discard whey.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, toss well and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the onions turn creamy and golden-brown. Turn heat to low if onions darken too quickly. While cooking, add salt to taste, a little at a time, to bring out the flavor of the onions. The onions can be caramelized advance and kept in the refrigerator for a few days.

3. Bring a six-quart pot of water to boil. Season with sea salt — enough so that the water tastes like seawater. Drop in pasta. Cook until just al dente and drain, reserving a half-cup of water.

4. Place yogurt in a large bowl and whisk with the half-cup of hot pasta water. Toss pasta with yogurt until fully coated. Spoon caramelized onions, fresh herbs, prosciutto and green onions into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

5. Place pasta in a warm serving bowl. Garnish with pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve.

Makes 6 servings

Adapted from Cathy Whims, Chef/Owner, Nostrana
Presented by Nonna’s Noodles and Nancy’s Yogurt
Photo by Leah Harb