A viral TikTok recipe inspired me to make this rich and savory Turkish Pasta dish! My version takes it to the next level with saucy ground beef, a brown butter paprika sauce, garlicky yogurt, and toasted pine nuts.
Social media is a powerful thing, and it’s crazy how fast Anna Paul’s video for Turkish Pasta has spread through Instagram and TikTok, inspiring so many people to make it – including me!
I had a lot of fun creating my own twist on Turkish Pasta with meat sauce and yogurt, and I think you’ll love what I came up with.
The concept of this pasta dish seems to be based on a recipe for Manti, which are Turkish dumplings filled with ground beef and topped with garlic, yogurt, and seasoned olive oil.
Using pasta makes the dish much easier and more accessible to those of us who aren’t familiar with making dumplings. Specifically chosen flavor ingredients like dried mint and pine nuts ensure that this Turkish Pasta is authentically delicious!
If you like this non-Italian pasta, you’ll also love one of my childhood favorites, a Middle Eastern pasta dish with yogurt sauce! I also created a pasta version of a popular Indian dish, Butter Chicken Pasta.
Turkish Pasta Recipe Highlights
- Layers of Flavor – This pasta dish is made with a few different components, and each adds new and exciting textures and flavors. We have tender pasta, savory meat sauce, browned butter, toasted pine nuts, and fresh tomatoes all working together here – it’s like a party in your mouth with every bite!
- Traditional Flavors – This meal is based on a traditional dumpling dish from Turkey called manti, and the pasta version is sometimes called “lazy manti” or “cheat manti”.
- Quick and Easy – While all the steps listed might make this recipe seem difficult, it really isn’t, as long as you stay organized. The pasta and the meat can cook at the same time. Whip up the toppings and you’ll be ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients In Turkish Pasta
Here’s what you need to make these Turkish-style noodles:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta: I’ve made this recipe with both orecchiette and farfalle (bow tie pasta) most recently. You can use any type of short pasta though, including shells, penne, or fusilli.
- Ground Beef: I prefer to use lean ground beef that is marked as 90/20. You can use 80 or 80% lean beef, but you will end up with less meat and more grease to pour off.
- Seasonings: For the meat sauce, we’ll add tons of flavor with sauteed onions, smoked paprika, cumin, dried mint, tomato paste, and garlic.
- Butter: We’ll take a few extra minutes to turn regular unsalted butter into a rich brown butter sauce with sweet paprika.
- Turkish Yogurt Sauce: You don’t even need to cook this part of the dish! Plain Greek yogurt is mixed with fresh garlic, lemon juice, and seasonings.
- Pine Nuts: You might know pine nuts from Italian dishes like pesto, but they are actually quite common in Turkish cuisine too! Look for them in the grocery store near the Italian foods. This ingredient is optional.
- Fresh Toppings: Sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley add the perfect finishing touch.
How To Make Turkish Pasta
Tip!
If you’re adding pine nuts to the recipe, toast them in the skillet in tablespoon of oil until they are golden brown. Then remove them from the pan and cook the beef.
Recipe Tips
- Optional Ingredients: The dried mint and pine nuts are technically optional. They add extra authentic Turkish flair to the pasta though, so if you can, use them!
- Other Flavor Boosters: Similar recipes call for chili powder or chili flakes to add a bit of heat. If you like spicy food, go ahead and add some to the meat mixture. The original viral video recipe includes curry powder. I tried it that way, but didn’t think it made much of an impact, so I’ve left it out.
- Ground Beef Sauce: Note that we’re cooking the meat “taco style”, by adding seasonings and water to create a saucier meat mixture. The water also helps to dissolve the dried seasonings so that they blend well together.
- Garlicky Yogurt: Greek yogurt is fairly similar to Turkish yogurt. You can use fat-free or low-fat yogurt here, but the thicker, higher-fat type will be the most creamy and delicious. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a small amount of water.
- Browned Butter: It takes 5-8 minutes to cook brown butter, and you need to stir it constantly to prevent burning. Watch for the butter to foam up, and then wait for the bubbles to clear. After that, continue cooking until the butter solids turn a golden brown color and the aroma is toasty.
- Timing: You can make the yogurt and butter sauces ahead of time if you need to, or just do them first, before you start to make the pasta and meat sauce. The pasta will cook in about the same amount of time as it takes to brown the beef, so you can have both going at once!
Storing Turkish Pasta
Once you’ve added the yogurt sauce to the pasta, it’s best to enjoy it right away, since the yogurt is best when it’s not heated.
If you need to store leftovers, or want to make this ahead of time, keep the components in separate containers. Reheat the pasta with the meat sauce and brown butter sauce added. Finish with garlicky yogurt, fresh tomatoes, and chopped parsley.
What To Serve With Turkish Pasta
I think that this recipe is perfect exactly as it is, but if you want to build up your meal, try serving your Turkish Pasta with a simple tossed green salad or some garlic bread sticks.
If you’re enjoying this Turkish meal, why not try another of Turkey’s specialties, Turkish Coffee? Serve this after dinner as dessert with baklava or some chocolates.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this with ground turkey?
Absolutely! This recipe will work with any type of ground meat. Use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground lamb, or try meat-less ground “beef” to make a vegetarian version of Turkish pasta.
Will this work with gluten-free pasta?
It sure will! Use any type of pasta that you enjoy.
How can I make Turkish pasta dairy free?
Replace the Greek yogurt for the garlic yogurt sauce with a plant-based yogurt instead. Just be sure that it’s a Greek-style plain yogurt. For the paprika butter sauce, use vegan butter. Instead of trying to brown it, just melt it and mix it with the seasonings.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
This delicious recipe for Turkish Pasta is totally worth the hype! Try my spin on the viral sensation today, or save the recipe for later by Pinning it.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Turkish Pasta
Ingredients
Garlicky Yogurt
- 1 ½ cups (220 g) Greek yogurt
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced, or grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta
- 8 ounces (225 g) dried pasta
Paprika Butter
- ¼ cup (56 g) butter
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Meat
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef 90/100
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried mint
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup water
Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) pine nuts toasted
Toppings
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Yogurt Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, then toss with 1 tablespoon butter, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the Paprika Butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it turns golden and develops a toasty aroma. Stir in the sweet paprika, remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the Ground Beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink.
- Add garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, dried mint (if using), tomato paste, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Assemble the Dish: Start with a layer of pasta in individual bowls or plates, top with a generous spoonful of yogurt sauce, add the spiced beef mixture, drizzle with paprika butter, and garnish with cherry tomatoes, parsley, and toasted pine nuts.
Notes:
- Optional Ingredients: The dried mint and pine nuts are technically optional. They add extra authentic Turkish flair to the pasta though, so if you can, use them!
- Ground Beef Sauce: Note that we’re cooking the meat “taco style”, by adding seasonings and water to create a saucier meat mixture. The water also helps to dissolve the dried seasonings so that they blend well together.
- Garlicky Yogurt: Greek yogurt is fairly similar to Turkish yogurt. You can use fat-free or low-fat yogurt here, but the thicker, higher-fat type will be the most creamy and delicious.
- Browned Butter: It takes 5-8 minutes to cook brown butter, and you need to stir it constantly to prevent burning. Watch for the butter to foam up, and then wait for the bubbles to clear. After that, continue cooking until the butter solids turn a golden brown color and the aroma is toasty.
- Timing: You can make the yogurt and butter sauces ahead of time if you need to, or just do them first, before you start to make the pasta and meat sauce. The pasta will cook in about the same amount of time as it takes to brown the beef, so you can have both going at once!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Michelle C says
Very tasty!
However, in the final step you mentioned “add the water”, or something like that. It doesn’t say how much on the ingredient list. I may have overlooked it, but I looked through the recipe multiple times.
We will definitely eat this again.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m glad you enjoyed the pasta, Michelle! It should be 1/2 cup of water for the meat. Thanks for letting me know about that.
Irfan says
Yummy 🙂
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m glad you think so! Enjoy!