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As a recipe developer who also creates food content on the internet, it’s safe to say I have strong opinions about recipes that go viral on social media. While I love a helpful trick or an interesting mash-up of flavors, I do not love “vibes only” recipes that have no chance of working properly or being delicious.
But one recent viral recipe sits firmly in the first camp for me: Turkish pasta. Maybe you’ve already seen it in your feed or just kept scrolling past it. Either way, I’m here to convince you why this viral dish definitely deserves a place on your weeknight dinner roster.
Pasta Inspired by Turkish Manti
The original video and recipe for Turkish Pasta to go viral is from influencer Anna Paul, who filmed her mother making the pasta from start to finish before digging in herself, posting, and, of course, racking up the views.
The thing that struck me and many commenters on the video is how similar the dish was to Turkish manti—small dumplings typically filled with meat and served with a garlic yogurt sauce. I’ve eaten manti many times at the great Turkish restaurants dotted all over where I live in Berlin, and even made them from scratch once at the expense of my neck, forearms and lower back.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Looking at this viral recipe, it was easy to see that it was basically deconstructed Turkish manti, taking the elements of the little dumplings and transforming them into an easy, weeknight dinner that anyone can make. After doing a little bit of research, it’s clear that Anna Paul’s mom was not the first to come up with this “lazy manti” variation, but thanks to social media, her daughter was able to bring it to a much wider audience, and for that, we can be thankful!
My recipe for Turkish pasta is made up of easily accessible ingredients: pasta, yogurt, garlic, ground beef, onion, butter, tomato paste, chili flakes, and parsley. In developing this recipe, I streamlined the process to use fewer pots and pans and also tried to stick more closely to the flavor profile of Turkish manti than the viral recipe.
Make It Even More Turkish
If you have easy access to Turkish ingredients and want to experience this weeknight dish with an even closer flavor profile to traditional Turkish manti, here are some simple additions and swaps to try:
- Swap the tomato paste with Turkish red pepper paste (biber salcasi)
- Finish each plate with a sprinkle of dried mint and/or sumac
- Use thick Turkish yogurt with 10% or more fat
- Use Aleppo pepper instead of red pepper flakes in the tomato butter sauce
- Season the meat with 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin for more flavor
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
More Recipes That Got Their Start On Social Media
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1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
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2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
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2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 pound 80% lean ground beef
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1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 pound dried pasta, preferably conchiglie, mezze rigatoni, or cavatappi
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1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
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Make the garlic-yogurt sauce:
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, grated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Set aside.
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Make the tomato butter:
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan and the butter has taken on a red color, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the tomato butter to a small bowl. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel to remove the residual butter and tomato paste; there’s no need for it to be perfectly clean.
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Brown the beef:
Set the wiped out frying pan over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and onions. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula and stirring it often, until the beef is no longer pink and becoming crispy, about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook the pasta:
While the beef is cooking, bring a large, covered pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, season with plenty of salt and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain well in a colander or sieve.
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Assemble and serve:
Portion the pasta onto serving plates. Top each portion equally with the yogurt sauce, beef, and a generous drizzle of the tomato butter. Sprinkle with plenty of the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
If you have leftovers of the beef, tomato butter, or yogurt, store them individually in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm the beef and tomato butter before serving over freshly cooked pasta.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 592 | Calories |
| 30g | Fat |
| 43g | Carbs |
| 36g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 592 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 30g | 39% |
| Saturated Fat 14g | 72% |
| 114mg | 38% |
| 737mg | 32% |
| 43g | 16% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| 36g | |
| Vitamin C 13mg | 67% |
| Calcium 117mg | 9% |
| Iron 5mg | 26% |
| Potassium 611mg | 13% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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