This Turkish Pasta went viral for a reason! With a spiced meat sauce, garlicky yogurt and chili oil drizzle. It's a delicious cozy meal ready in 30 minutes which I've made vegetarian and tastes just as good!
Have you tried the viral Turkish Pasta?? It went crazy viral on Tiktok and social media in December 2024 but I never tried it until now. As you guys know, I'm currently pregnant and recently saw a video and I automatically needed it in my tummy! I might be late to this trend, but it's better late than never because I haven't had anything this delicious in a while and was so surprised. Pasta with a spiced “meat” sauce, garlicky yogurt, then finished off with a special chili oil drizzle…ahh it's cozy, hearty and so so good!
Turkish pasta has become its slang name, but it's actually called yalanci manti - a cheats version of “manti’ - Turkish dumplings. The difference here is I've put a vegetarian spin on it that tastes just as good. I've kept the spice mix the same but substituted ground meat with mushrooms and lentils, similar to my vegan bolognese and even ghormeh sabzi. I’ve made my husband both the meat and vegetarian recipes, and he thinks you can barely taste the difference which is an extra bonus. So if you haven't tried it, don't wait any longer and get cooking!
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Quick & Easy. Ready in 30 minutes with simple steps anyone can make
- Flavor Packed: A delicious mouthful with a spiced sauce and creamy yogurt, that makes you more want with each bite
- Viral Recipe: Became a sensation on social media for its unique preparation and flavors. Its totally worth the hype!
What is Turkish Pasta?
Turkish Pasta otherwise known as "Yalancı mantı" is a cheats version of the traditional Turkish dish "Manti", which is made with spiced ground beef filled dumplings. As the Turkish dumplings are a labor of love and time consuming to make from scratch, using pasta instead has become an easier and quicker option, that delivers all the same classic flavors. It's common to use shell pasta which become like little buckets capturing the meat filling, similar to authentic manti.
This cheats version is now extremely popular on social media all over the world after viral videos shared by influencer Anna Paul.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta, I’ve used conchiglie which is a shell pasta perfect to capture the meat sauce, similar to the little dumplings in authentic manti. You can swap with other short pastas like penne, farfalle and fusilli, it's not common to use long pasta such as spaghetti
- Lentils and cremini mushrooms are the meat substitutes, making this recipe vegetarian and easily made vegan too. Both ingredients provide texture that reassembles meat whilst also adding protein and fiber. You can use canned or cooked lentils
- Onion and garlic cloves are the base of the sauce which are sautéed together before adding in the spices. Swap with white onion or yellow onion
- Smoked paprika and cumin are the key spices, bringing warmth and Turkish flavors to the dish
- Extra virgin olive oil helps prepare the sauce and to infuse the spicy oil (see below). The spicy oil also traditionally includes melted butter, but I personally prefer it solely with olive oil
- Concentrated tomato paste adds a layer of richness to the sauce and gives a deep red color. Traditionally you'll also see Biber salçası included which is a Turkish red pepper paste
- Aleppo pepper (pul biber) is a very popular spice in Turkish cuisine. Here it forms the base of the unique spicy oil along with smoked paprika. These spices infuse the olive oil when gently heated on a small saucepan then drizzled on top of the pasta when serving. If you can’t get your hands on it, you can swap with a blend of crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and smoked or sweet paprika
- Garnish is simple with a few chopped grape or cherry tomatoes and some fresh chopped parsley
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- Plain Greek yogurt is the base of the creamy garlic sauce. I’ve used thick non fat yogurt but you can use full-fat yogurt or dairy-free yogurt as needed
- Garlic is grated with a microplane and is the back bone of the yogurt sauce. Use fresh garlic for the best flavor rather than garlic powder. If you love garlic, double my recipe
- Lemon juice, just a squeeze goes a long way to bring brightness and balance the garlic
How to make Turkish Pasta
You can make this popular recipe at home in no time. You'll know after the first bite why this pasta recipe has received so much love. Here are my simple steps below:
Step 1: Start by finely dicing the mushrooms, onion and garlic
Step 2: Saute the diced onion with olive oil over medium heat and once translucent, add garlic, paprika and cumin and stir through for a few minutes with a wooden spoon
Step 3: Add the mushrooms and saute until browned
Step 4: Add olive oil, tomato paste and season. Saute for a few minutes
Step 5: Lentils are now added in and cooked together for 5 minutes
Step 6: Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water
Step 7: Make the yogurt sauce - in a small bowl, add yogurt, a grated garlic clove, a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor, add another clove
Step 8: Make the chili oil - add olive oil, paprika and aleppo pepper to a small pan and infuse over a very low heat for a few minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't burn)
Step 9: Remove oil from heat once you see a orange/red color
Step 10: To serve, first layer the pasta, then top with a few spoons of the garlic sauce, then a few ladles of the spiced sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley, chopped tomatoes and finish with a drizzle of spicy oil. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Make the traditional meat version. Use lean ground beef or even ground turkey and omit the mushrooms and lentils. Add the meat once the onions have been sautéed with the spices
- The garlic sauce shouldn't be served cold straight from the fridge. Its best to be left at room temperature while the pasta is still cooking so that it doesn't cool down the dish
- Cook pasta al dente or as you prefer it. Since it doesn't finish cooking in the sauce like usual Italian pasta dishes and is served separately
- Layer the dish on your plate starting with the pasta, then the yogurt, “meat” then fresh toppings and spicy oil. This way the yogurt becomes the sauce on the warm pasta mixed with the hot meat on top
Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days
- Reheat the cooked pasta and sauce separately on the stovetop or in the microwave and serve with the yogurt and fresh toppings
- Freeze the spiced "meat" sauce for up to 1-2 months, but I don't recommend freezing the other components
Serving Suggestions
This Turkish Pasta pairs great with a fresh fattoush salad or creamy avocado salad, alongside some roasted vegetables or steamed veggies.
For a full Middle eastern / Mediterranean menu idea, start with honey glazed halloumi along with yogurt flatbread. Then serve this pasta for main with a Shirazi salad or a Greek salad on the side and finish with delicious Persian ice cream or tiramisu truffles yum!
FAQs
Turkish pasta is the nickname for "yalanci manti", which is a simple cheats recipe for Turkish manti (Turkish dumplings). Made with pasta, served with a spiced meat sauce, garlic yogurt and a spicy chili butter sauce
Yes of course! Use your preferred ground meat such as lamb, beef or turkey and omit the mushrooms and lentils
If you can’t get your hands on aleppo pepper, you can make a simple blend of crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and smoked or sweet paprika to make the spicy oil
More Turkish Recipes
More Viral Tiktok Recipes
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Turkish Pasta (30 Minute Viral Recipe)
Ingredients
- 6oz / 170g short pasta - I've used conchiglie / shells
- 1 medium onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 9oz / 250g cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup cooked or canned lentils
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Garnish chopped parsley and a few chopped grape tomatoes
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup thick Greek yogurt - I've used non fat
- 1 garlic clove
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Chili Oil / Aleppo Pepper Oil
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber) - see notes for substitute
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion, garlic, along with the mushrooms
- In a large skillet, saute the onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once it becomes translucent, add the garlic, paprika and cumin. Saute for a few minutes
- Add the mushrooms and saute them all together until they start to brown, then add the extra spoon of olive oil, tomato paste and season well with salt and pepper
- After a few minutes, add the lentils and cook it all down for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, boil pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water then drain
- As the pasta is boiling, make the yogurt sauce by adding the yogurt to a small bowl and grating 1 garlic clove with a microplane grater. Add a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice and give it a taste. If you prefer it more garlicky add another garlic clove
- Make the chili oil by adding the olive oil, paprika and aleppo pepper to a small saucepan and cook it over a very low heat for a few minutes to infuse the oil - make sure it doesn't burn. Once you see the color is a nice orange/red color take it off the heat
- Plate up your Turkish Pasta and layer it, starting with the pasta, topped with a few spoons of garlicky yogurt. Add a few ladles of the spiced sauce and garnish with fresh parsley, chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of aleppo chili oil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make the meat version - if you prefer to try the traditional recipe with meat instead, remove the mushrooms and lentils and add 7oz / 200g of lean ground beef or ground turkey. Add the meat in step 3 and cook until browned before proceeding to the next step
- Garlic sauce - while the pasta is cooking, make the yogurt sauce and let it come to room temperature - this way it blends well with the hot pasta and the flavors really shine
- Cook pasta your way - as the pasta is served separately and layered with the other ingredients, you can cook the pasta al dente or how you prefer it
- Assemble - its best to layer on the plate your serving on. Start with the pasta, then the yogurt, the “meat” then fresh toppings and spicy oil. This way the yogurt becomes the sauce on the warm pasta mixed with the hot meat on top
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