Turkish Pasta Paprika Butter (Printable Version)

Vibrant pasta tossed with garlicky yogurt and rich paprika chili butter for a quick flavorful meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried pasta (such as tagliatelle or spaghetti)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Garlicky Yogurt

03 - 14 oz Greek yogurt (full-fat preferred)
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

→ Paprika Chili Butter

07 - 4 oz unsalted butter
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes (adjust to taste)
11 - ¼ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
02 - In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt with minced garlic, salt, and lemon juice if using. Stir well and set aside at room temperature.
03 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add sweet paprika, chili flakes, and optional cumin. Stir and let sizzle for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and deep orange-red, then remove from heat.
04 - Toss drained pasta with reserved pasta water to loosen. Divide pasta onto serving plates.
05 - Spoon generous dollops of garlicky yogurt over the hot pasta. Drizzle with warm paprika chili butter.
06 - Sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between cool, tangy yogurt and hot, spiced butter creates magic that tastes far more complicated than it actually is.
  • It comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can make it on a Tuesday night without losing your mind.
  • There's something almost meditative about how the flavors pool together on the plate, and everyone asks for the recipe.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not optional—just a bit of it creates an emulsion that helps the yogurt coat every strand instead of just pooling on top like a dollop.
  • Temperature matters more than you'd think; cold yogurt meeting hot pasta is the whole point, so don't let the yogurt warm up while you work.
  • Paprika loses its sparkle if it sits in hot oil too long, so that gentle sizzle for a minute or two is the sweet spot—too short and it's muted, too long and it becomes bitter.
03 -
  • Taste the yogurt mixture before you plate anything—if it needs salt or lemon, add it now, not at the table, because seasoning pasta dishes is a team sport and this is your chance to get it right.
  • If you don't have fresh herbs, this still works, but it loses something essential, so keep a pot of parsley on your windowsill or buy the small containers that last longer than you'd expect.
Go Back