Turkish Inspired Pasta Recipe
Creamy, garlicky yogurt pasta, a rich and spiced lentil topping, fresh crunchy veggies and a crispy garlic chilli oil—this dish inspired by the viral Turkish Pasta is hearty, fresh and full of flavour in every single bite! It’s light but so satisfying and makes for an incredibly refreshing but hearty meal.
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The authentic Turkish Pasta is made with a meat topping but since I’m vegetarian, I swapped it for a mix of lentils and cottage cheese and it works just as beautifully. I use red chilli powder as a replacement for paprika and curd as one for yogurt. The curd base is tangy, the lentils soak up all the spices and the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers add that bit of crunch to keep things balanced.
My Hot Take (might be slightly controversial)
This might be controversial but when you put it all together, doesn’t my version of this dish just scream chaat? The mint, the spice, the lentils, the fresh veggies and that final tempering of garlic and chilli: you wouldn’t think of pasta as chaat but when you look at the flavours and layering right here, it just makes sense!
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How to make this Turkish Inspired Pasta?
We start with the base of this dish: the creamy and fresh yogurt pasta. Mix curd with garlic, dried mint powder, salt and black pepper until well combined. Once smooth, mix in the cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. Feel free to add any more vegetables of your choice!
Moving onto the part of this dish which makes it satiating and hearty: the spiced topping. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté garlic and onions until golden brown and fragrant. Add in the spices: turmeric, salt, pepper and chilli powder and the tomato purée. Let this cook down till the raw smell disappears, the gravy thickens and starts smelling aromatic. Mix in the cooked brown lentils and cottage cheese. Let everything cook until the mixture dries to ensure the topping isn’t too wet while still being flavourful, the lentils and cottage cheese absorbing all the flavours.
To balance the sourness of the tomato purée, mix in some ketchup which works so well because it’s just tomato sauce with sugar, enhancing the tomato flavour even more. You can also use sugar or jaggery instead. Finish with fresh basil which really pulls all the flavours together.
This step add so much depth to the overall flavour and vibe of the dish.
It’s time to plate! Start by adding the pasta mixture to your plate as the base. Layer the lentil-cottage cheese topping over it. Now, all there is left to do is add the real finishing touch which is the garlic chilli oil—it takes just a few seconds to make but elevates the dish so much!
Heat olive oil in a small pan and fry thinly sliced garlic until it turns crisp and golden. Turn off the heat and immediately mix in the chilli powder. As soon as it hits the oil, the aroma and colour intensifies. Drizzle this oil over the dish and you’re all set to devour this delicious pasta!
Trust me, it’ll only take you a few finish to finish the whole thing cause it is just so, so good!
Notes
- If you’re looking for something lighter, you can skip the lentil topping and enjoy the creamy curd pasta as a standalone. I’ve made it with just curd and for added protein and satiation, used boiled chickpeas—this made for a satisfying combination that’s simple yet still so delicious.
- Feel free to customise this pasta and make it your own (just like I did!). You can also the cottage cheese for tofu, tempeh or any protein of your choice and use whatever beans or lentils you have on hand.
- The pasta choice is totally up to you. I went for a healthier emmer wheat pasta, but you can use whatever you want!
Turkish Inspired Pasta Recipe
Creamy, garlicky yogurt pasta, a rich and spiced lentil topping, fresh crunchy veggies and a crispy garlic chilli oil—this dish inspired by the viral Turkish Pasta is hearty, fresh and full of flavour in every single bite! It’s light but so satisfying and makes for an incredibly refreshing but hearty meal.
servings
1
prep time
10 min
cook time
20 min
Ingredients
Pasta
- 2/3 cup unflavoured curd (or yogurt)
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried mint
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked pasta, I used emmer wheat pasta
Spiced Topping (makes 2-3 servings)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup tomato puree
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup cooked brown lentils (masoor dal)
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (chena: panner before it is set)
- 1/2 tbsp ketchup (or 1/2 tsp sugar or jaggery)
- 5 basil leaves, sliced
Chilli Garlic Oil
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (or paprika)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix curd with garlic, dried mint, salt and black pepper until smooth. Add in the cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes and cucumber. Mix everything together so the pasta is evenly coated and set aside.
- Heat up olive oil in a pan and sauté chopped garlic and onions until golden brown and fragrant. Add in the spices and the tomato purée and cook until thicker, the raw smell disappears and sauce smells fragrant.
- Add the cooked lentils and cottage cheese and mix well to coat it all in the sauce. Let it cook until the mixture dries: the flavours fully absorbed by the lentils. Mix in the ketchup for a touch of sweetness to balance the tomatoes and finish with fresh basil.
- Lets plate: add your pasta on a plate as the base, top with the spiced tomato lentils and cottage cheese and now all there's left to do is finish with a quick tempering.
- Heat up a small pan and fry garlic in olive oil until crisp and golden. Turn off the heat, immediately mix in red chilli powder and pour this over the assembled pasta. Serve!!
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