Turkish Pasta with Paprika (Printable version)

A comforting Turkish pasta featuring garlicky yogurt and spicy paprika butter for quick flavorful meals.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried pasta (tagliatelle or spaghetti)
02 - Salt, to taste for boiling water

→ Garlicky Yogurt

03 - 14 oz full-fat Greek yogurt
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

→ Paprika Chili Butter

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (adjust to taste)
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt with minced garlic, salt, and lemon juice if using. Stir well and set aside at room temperature.
03 - Melt the butter with olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in paprika, chili flakes, and cumin if using. Let the mixture sizzle gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and deep orange-red, then remove from heat.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the reserved pasta water to loosen. Plate the pasta, spoon dollops of garlicky yogurt over it, and drizzle with the warm paprika chili butter. Garnish with chopped dill or parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like you spent an hour fussing over it.
  • The contrast between cool tangy yogurt and hot spiced butter creates a flavor that keeps you reaching for another bite.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry and fridge right now.
  • It's flexible enough to handle whatever pasta shape you have on hand, and forgiving if you eyeball the measurements.
02 -
  • If your yogurt is fridge-cold, the pasta will cool down too fast and turn gummy, so always let the yogurt come to room temperature first.
  • Don't let the paprika butter sit over heat too long or the paprika will turn bitter and lose its vibrant color.
  • Reserving pasta water isn't optional, it's the secret to a sauce that clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
  • If the yogurt looks like it might curdle when it hits the pasta, whisk in a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water first to temper it.
  • Bloom your spices in the butter until they smell toasty and alive, not raw, that's when the flavor really opens up.
  • Use a wider pasta shape like pappardelle or even broken lasagna sheets, they hold onto the yogurt and butter in a way that thin spaghetti can't.
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