Turkish Garlic Yogurt Pasta (Printable Version)
Pasta tossed in creamy garlic yogurt, served with paprika butter and fresh herbs for Mediterranean flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 ounces dried pasta such as spaghetti or penne
02 - 1 tablespoon salt for boiling water
→ Garlic Yogurt Sauce
03 - 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt
04 - 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
05 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Spiced Butter
08 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika or Aleppo pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
→ Garnish
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
# Steps to Follow:
01 - Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a rolling boil, then add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, whisk together yogurt, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Leave at room temperature until needed.
03 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle in paprika and red pepper flakes, stirring until the butter foams and becomes aromatic for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
04 - Return drained pasta to pot. Quickly add yogurt sauce and toss gently to coat. If sauce feels thick, add splashes of reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
05 - Arrange coated pasta on serving plates. Spoon spiced butter over each portion.
06 - Sprinkle pasta generously with fresh dill and parsley. Serve immediately while warm.
# Additional Tips::
01 -
- Quick to make you will have dinner on the table in under thirty minutes
- Uses basic pantry ingredients and fresh herbs
- Vegetarian friendly and easy to adapt
- Creamy and tangy with irresistible pops of flavor from the spiced butter
02 -
- High in protein and calcium
- Balanced between creamy cool and spicy smoky
- You can swap the pasta for gluten free or whole wheat to fit your needs
- Nothing beats the way sweet paprika blooms in hot butter in this dish. When I first tried Aleppo pepper instead of regular paprika it was a game changer bringing a lingering warmth that elevated every bite. My kids now demand a sprinkle of extra dill for that finishing spark.
03 -
- Let the yogurt come to room temperature before using so it melds better with hot pasta.
- Do not skip blooming your spices in butter this one minute step works magic in both flavor and color.
- Always reserve extra pasta water it transforms the sauce and lets you customize the creaminess without diluting flavor.