Turkish Yogurt Pasta Recipe (with Mint and Sizzling Garlic Oil)

This Turkish yogurt pasta recipe takes the classic combination behind Mantı — cool garlicky yogurt, sizzling spiced oil — and pairs it with homemade semolina pasta instead of dumplings. Tangy mint yogurt sauce, hand-cut pasta, and a hot garlic and sun-dried tomato oil poured right over the top. It sounds unusual if you’ve never had yogurt on pasta before, but it is one of the most comforting things you can make.

This is Turkish home cooking logic at its best — the yogurt is not a garnish, it’s the sauce, and the hot oil poured over at the end is what ties everything together. Once you try it this way you’ll understand why yogurt shows up on so many savory Turkish dishes.

Turkish Yogurt Pasta Recipe (with Mint and Sizzling Garlic Oil)

Recipe by Burak BerkelCourse: DinnerCuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

380

kcal

Ingredients

• For the pasta dough:

• 1½ cups semolina pasta flour

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp water

• For the yogurt sauce:

• 2 cups yogurt

• A handful of fresh mint (or dried mint if you prefer)

• Salt to taste

• For the garlic oil:

• A few slices of sun-dried tomato, cubed

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

• Olive oil, for pouring hot

Directions

• Make the dough
  Mix the semolina flour and salt together, then make a well in the center. Add the beaten eggs, olive oil and water into the well and combine everything into a shaggy dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. Wrap the dough and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
• Roll and cut the pasta
  Lightly flour your hands and work surface — just enough to keep the dough from sticking, not so much that it dries out. Roll the dough out, fold it over, then cut it into slices. Separate the strands so they don’t stick together.
• Cook the pasta
  Boil the pasta for about 3 minutes, then rinse immediately under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the strands from clumping.
• Make the yogurt sauce
  Blend the yogurt with the fresh mint and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  
• Make the garlic oil
  Heat olive oil until hot, then pour it over the cubed sun-dried tomato and sliced garlic so it sizzles and releases their flavor.
• Combine and serve
  Toss the cooked pasta with the mint yogurt sauce, then drizzle the hot garlic and sun-dried tomato oil over the top just before serving. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️

Notes

• Rest the dough fully. Twenty minutes minimum lets the gluten relax, which makes the dough much easier to roll and cut without springing back.
• Don’t over-flour your surface. A little goes a long way — too much flour worked into the dough as you roll will make the pasta tough.
• Rinse the pasta in cold water. This stops the cooking immediately and keeps the strands from sticking together while you finish the sauce.
• Pour the oil on hot. The sizzle when the hot oil hits the garlic and sun-dried tomato is what releases their flavor into the oil — this is the whole point of the step, so don’t let the oil cool down first.
• Use full-fat yogurt. It gives the sauce a much richer, creamier texture than low-fat yogurt.

How to Serve Turkish Yogurt Pasta

• As a main dish on its own — it’s filling and complete
• With extra red pepper flakes on top for heat
• Alongside a simple Çoban Salatası for a full meal
• With warm bread to catch any extra sauce

Storage: Best served fresh, right after combining the pasta, sauce and hot oil. The pasta dough itself can be made a day ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge until you’re ready to roll and cook it.