Makaroni o Panir (ماکارونی و پنیر) — Persian-Style Macaroni and Cheese with Yogurt

• 16 ozDry elbow macaroni
• 14 gFine salt (10 g for pasta water + 4 g for the sauce)
• 2⅛ ozUnsalted butter (plus 10 g for greasing the dish)
• 1½ cupWhole milk
• 8½ ozThick plain yogurt (strained/Greek-style)
• 2Eggs
• 2 gBlack pepper, freshly ground (about 1 tsp)
• 10.5 ozMozzarella cheese, shredded (low-moisture mozzarella melts best)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C and place a rack in the middle. Grease a 23×33 cm baking dish with 10 g butter so the edges crisp lightly and the pasta releases cleanly.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and dissolve 10 g salt in it. Add the macaroni and boil until just al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package time, because it will finish cooking in the oven.

3. 3

   Drain the pasta well and return it to the warm pot so excess steam evaporates. Add 60 g butter and toss for 30–60 seconds until it melts and coats the macaroni evenly.

4. 4

   In a bowl, whisk the milk, yogurt, and eggs until completely smooth with no streaks of egg white visible. Whisk in the remaining 4 g salt and the black pepper so the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the custardy sauce.

5. 5

   Add about two-thirds of the mozzarella (200 g) to the buttered macaroni and mix thoroughly. Pour the yogurt-milk mixture over the pasta and fold gently until every piece is glossy and lightly coated.

6. 6

   Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish and press it down lightly to remove large air pockets. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella (100 g) evenly over the top so it bakes into a stretchy, browned cap.

7. 7

   Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the dish for even browning. Continue baking 8–10 minutes more until the center is set (no longer liquid) and the top has golden spots.

8. 8

   Rest the dish for 10 minutes before slicing, which helps the egg-yogurt custard set cleanly. Serve warm so the mozzarella stays elastic and the yogurt tang remains bright.