Turkish Pasta

We, Turkish people, love to pair almost any dish with yogurt, and this pasta is just one of them. Turkish Pasta is a life-saver! Quick, easy, and so satisfying! Our son loves it so much, and we make it often.

Sometimes, when we’re really in a hurry, we skip the meat sauce and just use the yogurt sauce and buttery spice topping. It’s just as delicious and even faster to prepare!

The Pasta Known as Fake Manti in Turkiye

Anna Paul calls this dish Turkish Pasta, but in Turkey, we call it "Fake Manti", "Cheat Manti" (Yalancı Mantı) or manti pasta (manti makarna).

Turkish Manti is a traditional dish made with tiny dumplings filled with meat, topped with garlic yogurt and spiced butter sauce. It takes time and effort to make, so when we want the same flavors but in an easier way, we make this pasta instead. That’s why it’s called fake manti. Same taste, but much faster to prepare!

Pasta with 4 Layers

Turkish Pasta is actually one of the simplest dishes in Turkish cuisine, but the surprising combination of flavors makes it a true flavor bomb! Don’t let the “4 layers” scare you. It’s super easy to make!

Besides the first layer, cooked pasta, the other layers are:

1. A rich ground beef sauce
2. Garlic yogurt sauce
3. Spiced butter sauce

For us, this order of layers gives the best balance of flavors, but some recipes switch the yogurt and meat sauce.

In Turkey, some people even mix the meat sauce with the pasta in the pan, share it into bowls and then top it with yogurt and butter sauce when serving. We love it the way it’s written in this recipe, but you can try whichever you want.

About The Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and exact measurements are in the recipe card below. 

Pasta:

In Turkey, Turkish Pasta is usually made with shell pasta because it looks and feels a bit like manti (Turkish dumplings). But fusilli and penne are also very popular choices. Honestly, there are no strict rules, use any pasta you like!

Ground Beef Sauce:

Besides onion and garlic, our rich and flavorful meat sauce includes: 

• Tomato paste: We use whatever is available at the store, but for an authentic touch, look for the Turkish brand Öncü. For even more flavor, you can use a mix of tomato paste (domates salçası) and red pepper paste (biber salçası). Öncü offers both, and they’re often available on Amazon.
• 85% lean ground beef: This is the traditional one. You can use ground lamb or even chicken or turkey too if you want.
• Spices: We season the sauce with oregano, cumin, paprika, pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes), salt, and black pepper. Pul biber adds a rich depth of flavor, but if you can’t find it, Aleppo pepper or cayenne pepper make great substitutes. We are not using them here, but onion powder and garlic powder could be added even for more flavor. 
• Pureed fresh tomatoes: We simply puree (or grate) 2-3 fresh tomatoes as we love the taste of them in this sauce, but canned tomatoes work too!

Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

• Plain yogurt: If you are in Turkey, use your favorite Turkish yogurt. You can use strained yogurt (süzme yoğurt), too but then you need to thin it with a little water as it is too thick for a sauce.
• Lemon juice: We add a little when we use Greek yogurt because it isn’t as tangy as Turkish yogurt. If your yogurt is already tangy, you can skip this.
• Fresh garlic: A must for this sauce! Use two small garlic cloves or one large one.

Spiced Butter Sauce:

• Unsalted butter & olive oil: Mixing them makes the sauce easier to drizzle.
• Dried mint: Brings a fresh, herby taste and gives Turkish Pasta its signature flavor.
• Sweet paprika or hot chili powder: Adds color and a mild heat. 

How to Make Turkish Pasta

The full instructions for this recipe are in the recipe card below.

Turkish pasta is a super easy recipe to make, and once you prepare everything, assembling it takes just a few minutes!

Start by making the ground beef sauce. Cook the ground beef with onions, garlic, tomato paste, and spices, stirring regularly. The key is to brown the beef really well—it should be slightly crispy before adding the pureed tomatoes. Let it simmer for a few minutes while you cook the pasta.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. In Turkey, people often cook pasta softer than al dente, but you can cook it how you like.

Now, make the yogurt sauce by mixing yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and mashed garlic in a bowl. If the yogurt is too thick, add a splash of water to thin it.

Finally, make the butter sauce. Melt butter and olive oil in a pan, then quickly stir in dried mint and paprika, cooking for just 5-10 seconds. This sauce should be drizzled immediately over the pasta, so prepare it only when everything else is ready.

Now it is time to assemble the dish. Put cooked pasta in a bowl. Top it with the cooked beef sauce, and then yogurt sauce. Finally, drizzle the mint & paprika butter sauce on top. Optionally garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

A Note on Garnishing:
In Anna Paul’s recipe, Turkish Pasta is topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, but this is not traditional in Turkey. We usually serve it with a fresh salad on the side. That being said, feel free to add cherry tomatoes if you like! 

Can I Make Turkish Pasta Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can prepare parts of the dish in advance to save time.

The ground beef sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the fridge. When ready to serve, simply reheat it. Add a splash of water when reheating. 

It’s best to cook the pasta fresh, but if you need to prepare it ahead, store it separately and toss it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Reheat it with a splash of water over medium heat.

The yogurt sauce is best made fresh, but you can mix the garlic with yogurt ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.

However, the butter sauce should be made right before serving.

What to Do with Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If there’s only a little butter sauce left, mix it into the ground beef sauce before storing.

The ground beef sauce is delicious on its own too! You can enjoy it the next day as a standalone dish or use it in sandwiches, wraps, or even over rice for an easy meal.

If you have leftover yogurt sauce, don’t throw it away! It makes a great dip for roasted vegetables. You can also use it as a creamy dressing for salads.

Serving Suggestions

We love pairing this Turkish pasta dish with something fresh and light on the side. In Turkey, it’s often served with a simple salad like:

• Mevsim Salatası – A classic Turkish seasonal salad made with lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots, dressed with lemon and olive oil.
• Çoban Salatası – A refreshing shepherd’s salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and parsley, tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.

It also goes well with pickles. 

Can I Make Turkish Pasta Gluten-Free?

Yes! You can easily make Turkish Pasta gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta. Just cook it according to the package instructions. The meat sauce, yogurt sauce, and butter sauce are naturally gluten-free, so no other changes are needed.

Is It Freezer-Friendly?

Not really. While you can freeze the ground beef sauce for up to 3 months, the yogurt sauce, butter sauce and cooked pasta do not freeze well. 

If you want to prep ahead, freeze only the meat sauce, then cook fresh pasta and prepare the yogurt and butter sauces when ready to serve your Turkish Pasta.

More Turkish Dishes

• Turkish Eggs
• Tavuk Sote
• Turkish Chicken and Potatoes
• Kuru Fasulye (Turkish Bean Stew)
• Turkish Green Beans

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