Turkish Yogurt Pasta (Printer View)

Creamy garlicky yogurt combined with pasta and spiced butter creates a flavorful Turkish-inspired main dish.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried fusilli or penne pasta
02 - 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water

→ Yogurt Sauce

03 - 1 2/3 cups plain full-fat Turkish or Greek yogurt
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Spiced Butter

06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
10 - 1/4 teaspoon dried mint (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking water, and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, minced garlic, and salt. Thin with a spoonful or two of the reserved pasta water if the yogurt is very thick, until smooth and creamy.
03 - Melt the unsalted butter with olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in paprika, Aleppo pepper, and dried mint if using. Cook until the butter is foamy and aromatic, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
04 - Toss the warm pasta with the yogurt sauce, ensuring each piece is well coated. Divide the mixture evenly among serving bowls.
05 - Drizzle the spiced butter generously over each bowl. Garnish with chopped fresh dill or parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, with minimal dishes to prove it.
  • The yogurt is tangy and cooling, but the spiced butter is warm and rich—they balance each other perfectly.
  • It's vegetarian comfort food that doesn't pretend to be anything fancier than it is.
02 -
  • The pasta must still be warm when it meets the yogurt, or the sauce will look broken and grainy instead of silky and unified.
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water—just two tablespoons of it transforms thick yogurt into a sauce that clings rather than clumps.
  • The spiced butter cools quickly, so make it last and drizzle it over the bowl when you're ready to eat, not a moment before.
03 -
  • If you can't find Aleppo pepper, don't panic—regular paprika with a tiny pinch of cayenne creates a similar warmth without exact replication, which is fine because cooking is never about exactness anyway.
  • A small saucepan of water kept just below a boil on the back burner while you're eating is a small luxury that lets you warm the spiced butter again if it cools too much before you eat.
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