Turkish Pasta Ground Turkey (Printable)

Pasta combined with spiced ground turkey, paprika butter, and yogurt sauce for a rich, satisfying flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or shells)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Ground Turkey Mixture

03 - 1 lb lean ground turkey
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
10 - 1 tsp salt

→ Yogurt Sauce

11 - 1 ¼ cups plain Greek yogurt
12 - 1 clove garlic, grated
13 - ½ tsp salt
14 - Juice of ½ lemon

→ Paprika Butter

15 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
16 - 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
17 - ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnishes

18 - 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
19 - Extra yogurt or lemon wedges (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Incorporate ground turkey, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and cooked through.
03 - Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt to the turkey mixture. Stir well and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, grated garlic, salt, and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.
05 - Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika and Aleppo pepper if using, swirling until aromatic but not browned. Remove from heat.
06 - Toss drained pasta with the turkey mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
07 - Spread a generous spoonful of yogurt sauce on each plate. Top with the pasta and turkey mixture. Drizzle with paprika butter and sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking when you really spent twenty minutes browning meat and boiling pasta.
  • The yogurt cools everything down while the paprika butter wakes it back up, and that contrast is what keeps you going back for seconds.
  • You can make it with whatever pasta shape is already open in your cupboard and it still works.
02 -
  • If you skip saving the pasta water, the dish will be dry and you'll regret it halfway through eating.
  • Don't let the paprika butter sit on high heat or it will turn bitter and brown, just warm it until it smells good and pull it off.
  • The yogurt can break if you mix it directly into the hot pan, so always plate it separately or let the pasta cool for a minute first.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in the pan for an extra minute before adding the liquid, it deepens the flavor in a way that feels intentional.
  • Use full-fat yogurt if you can, it tastes creamier and doesn't separate as easily when it hits the hot pasta.
  • Plate it like you care, the smear of yogurt and the red drizzle make it look special even when you're just feeding yourself on a Tuesday.
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