Description
This Turkish Pasta Recipe features farfalle pasta with a flavorful ground beef sauce, a tangy garlic yogurt sauce, and a spiced butter sauce, garnished with fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes. It’s a quick and savory weeknight dish inspired by a viral TikTok recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
For The Pasta
- 8 ounces pasta, I use farfalle but any shape would work
- Kosher salt
For The Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef, 93%
- 1 medium size onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste, or tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, unsweetened plain (full fat or skim)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For The Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste (such as Aleppo Pepper or Urfa Chili pepper)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
As Garnish (optional)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 tablespoons dried mint, or fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons sumac, optional
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt so it tastes like the ocean. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes depending on your pasta brand. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and set pasta aside.
- Prepare the Meat Sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink and some oil is released. Add the chopped onion, red pepper or tomato paste, onion powder, ground cumin, sweet paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for another 5-6 minutes until onions soften and meat is fully cooked. Add reserved pasta water if the mixture seems dry, then set aside.
- Make the Garlic Yogurt Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, and kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
- Prepare the Butter Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Cook until butter is melted and bubbly, then remove from heat.
- Assemble the Dish: Divide the cooked pasta into bowls. Top each with a spoonful of the yogurt sauce and a generous portion of meat sauce. Drizzle with the warm butter sauce. Repeat for all servings.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally, garnish with cherry tomatoes, dried mint or fresh parsley, and sumac. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Save some pasta water as a backup to keep the meat sauce moist if needed during cooking.
- The recipe uses no oil for sautéing meat as ground beef releases its own fat, but you can add a bit of olive oil if desired.
- Leftovers should be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat components individually before assembling.
- This recipe yields 4 servings.
- For more heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes in the butter sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
