Can you use yogurt in a hot pasta sauce?

Yogurt can curdle and separate when heated, so it's not the ideal cooking ingredient for hot pasta sauces. But if you want to use it, here are a few tips to minimize curdling:

- Avoid boiling: Dairy products like yogurt can form curds when they quickly transition from cold to very high temperatures. So when incorporating yogurt into a hot sauce, always remove the sauce from direct heat. Wait for the sauce to slightly cool down before adding yogurt and stir or whisk continuously over low heat.

- Add cornstarch or flour: Adding a small amount of cornstarch or flour to yogurt can help stabilize it and prevent it from curdling in a sauce. When you whisk together yogurt and cornstarch or flour, it creates a protective layer around the yogurt proteins and makes them more resistant to heat.

- Tempering: This is a gradual process of introducing yogurt to a heated sauce to avoid a quick temperature change. Start by whisking a spoonful of hot sauce into the yogurt, then repeat with a few more spoonfuls. Once a significant portion of the hot sauce has been incorporated into the yogurt, add the yogurt mixture to the sauce and stir continuously.

By following these tips, you can successfully incorporate yogurt into your pasta sauces without worrying about curdling.