can't find format file pdflatex.fmt when producing pdf

[n0s4]

This is my first time using pandoc, I am trying to convert from markdown to pdf.
I have installed pandoc on Arch linux via pacman (version 3.1.9).
Trying to convert gives me this error:

$ pandoc -f markdown topics.md -t pdf -o topics.pdf

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf files (in precedence order):
mktexfmt:   /etc/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf file for writing changes:
mktexfmt:   /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-config/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt [INFO]: writing formats under /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-var/web2c
mktexfmt [INFO]: Did not find entry for byfmt=pdflatex skipped
mktexfmt [INFO]: disabled formats: 1
mktexfmt [INFO]: not selected formats: 8
mktexfmt [INFO]: total formats: 9
mktexfmt [INFO]: exiting with status 0

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf files (in precedence order):
mktexfmt:   /etc/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf file for writing changes:
mktexfmt:   /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-config/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt [INFO]: writing formats under /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-var/web2c
mktexfmt [INFO]: Did not find entry for byfmt=pdflatex skipped
mktexfmt [INFO]: disabled formats: 1
mktexfmt [INFO]: not selected formats: 8
mktexfmt [INFO]: total formats: 9
mktexfmt [INFO]: exiting with status 0
Error producing PDF.
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.26 (TeX Live 2024/Arch Linux) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
I can't find the format file `pdflatex.fmt'!

Can anyone see what's going wrong?

Edit: tried with version 3.3, similar output:

$ ~/Downloads/pandoc-3.3/bin/pandoc -f markdown topics.md -t pdf -o topics.pdf

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt pdflatex.fmt
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf files (in precedence order):
mktexfmt:   /etc/texmf/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt: mktexfmt is using the following fmtutil.cnf file for writing changes:
mktexfmt:   /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-config/web2c/fmtutil.cnf
mktexfmt [INFO]: writing formats under /home/joe/.texlive/texmf-var/web2c
mktexfmt [INFO]: Did not find entry for byfmt=pdflatex skipped
mktexfmt [INFO]: disabled formats: 1
mktexfmt [INFO]: not selected formats: 8
mktexfmt [INFO]: total formats: 9
mktexfmt [INFO]: exiting with status 0
Error producing PDF.
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-1.40.26 (TeX Live 2024/Arch Linux) (preloaded format=pdflatex)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
I can't find the format file `pdflatex.fmt'!

Edit 2: after installing packages "texlive-latex", "texlive-latexextra" and "texlive-latexrecommended", I get this error instead:

Error producing PDF.
! LaTeX Error: File `lmodern.sty' not found.

Type X to quit or <RETURN> to proceed,
or enter new name. (Default extension: sty)

Enter file name:
! Emergency stop.
<read *>

l.19 \ifPDFTeX

Edit 3: after installing "texlive-fontsrecommended" and "texlive-fontsextra" it finally works. Sorry for the noise.