Turkish Pasta

Turkish Pasta

A viral Turkish-inspired pasta dish featuring tender bowtie or penne pasta tossed in a rich, garlicky yogurt sauce, topped with spiced ground beef and a drizzle of smoky paprika butter. Creamy, savory, and deeply satisfying — this weeknight dinner comes together in under 45 minutes and has taken social media by storm for good reason.

4 servings · Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min · Total 40 min

Italian · Dinner · Main Course

Main

  • 12 oz penne or bowtie pasta
  • bowtie pasta
  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 or lean
  • lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced, divided
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt divided, plus more for pasta water
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Yogurt Sauce

  • 2 cup plain full-fat yogurt room temperature
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Paprika Butter

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes

Equipment

  • Stovetop
  • Saucepan
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Skillet
  • Pot
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Saucepan (5 Quarts)
  • Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
  • Colander

Instructions

  1. Bring a large #[Pot] of generously salted water to a boil. Add the @[Penne Pasta] and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large #[Skillet] over ^[medium-high heat]. Add the @[Ground Beef] and diced @[Yellow Onion]. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a #[Wooden Spoon], for ~[7–9 minutes] until the beef is browned and the onion is softened. Add 3 cloves of @[Garlic] minced, @[Cumin], @[Salt], and @[Black Pepper]. Stir and cook for another ~[1–2 minutes] until fragrant. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
  3. In a large #[Mixing Bowl], whisk together the room-temperature @[Yogurt], 2 cloves of @[Garlic] minced, and @[Salt] until smooth and creamy. Add the drained @[Penne Pasta] and toss well to coat. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again.
  4. In a small #[Saucepan] over ^[medium-low heat], melt the @[Butter]. Once melted, stir in the @[Paprika] and @[Red Pepper Flakes] (if using). Cook for ~[30–60 seconds] until fragrant and the butter turns a deep red color. Remove from heat immediately.
  5. Divide the yogurt-coated @[Penne Pasta] among serving bowls. Spoon the spiced @[Ground Beef] generously over the top. Drizzle the warm @[Paprika] @[Butter] over each bowl and finish with a sprinkle of fresh @[Parsley]. Serve immediately.