A quick Turkish pasta made with spiced ground beef, garlicky yogurt sauce, and paprika butter tossed with tender pasta for a bold, comforting meal.
This viral pasta dish has taken over social media, thanks to a video shared by Anna Paul and Anna’s mom. The recipe is inspired by manti, recreating the flavors of traditional Turkish dumplings with simple pantry ingredients and regular pasta.
Instead of making dumplings, this Turkish pasta recipe combines cooked pasta, rich ground beef, creamy garlic yogurt, and a warm paprika butter drizzle. The combination of warm pasta, cool garlicky yogurt, and spiced butter sauce creates bold Mediterranean flavor in a simple 15-minute dish. If you need new recipes to add to your dinner rotations, try our one-pot chicken alfredo tortellini bake!
I love this recipe because the whole dish comes together in about the same amount of time it takes for the pasta to cook. It’s quick, simple, and packed with delicious flavors. I especially love making it during the summer because it feels light, refreshing, and doesn’t require much time in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (While the pasta is cooking, start the meat) Cook 16oz of your favorite short pasta according to the package, then drain and set aside. Shapes like fusilli, bowties, or shells work well because they hold the sauce.
Ground Beef
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil or butter to the pan, then add 1 pound of ground beef and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to develop a good sear.
Add 1 finely diced onion (a yellow onion works well) and continue cooking over medium-high heat. Break the ground meat into small pieces and allow it to caramelize rather than steam.
Season the meat with:
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of salt
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
The creamy yogurt sauce is what makes this dish special.
In a bowl, combine:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 grated garlic cloves
- pinch of salt
This creates the classic garlic yogurt topping with a tangy garlicky yogurt flavor that balances the rich meat and butter.
Paprika Butter Sauce
The final layer is a warm paprika butter drizzle.
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat until fully melted butter forms.
Stir in:
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of salt
Let the spices bloom for about 30 seconds to create a fragrant butter sauce.
Assemble the Turkish Pasta
Place the cooked pasta into a large serving dish. Spoon the ground beef mixture over the pasta, then add generous dollops of the garlic yogurt.
Drizzle the warm paprika butter over the top and finish with chopped cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and a little extra black pepper.
The contrast of warm pasta, cool yogurt, and spiced butter is what makes this Turkish pasta recipe so irresistible.
Why This Recipe Went Viral
This dish exploded online after Anna Paul shared her mom’s version, and the video quickly spread across social media platforms like TikTok.
People love it because it delivers the comforting flavors of cheat manti in a quick, approachable way using everyday ingredients.
Pin it for later!
Viral Turkish Pasta (Cheat Manti)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (While the pasta is cooking, start the meat) Cook 16oz of your favorite short pasta according to the package, then drain and set aside. Shapes like fusilli, bowties, or shells work well because they hold the sauce.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil or butter to the pan, then add 1 pound of ground beef and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to develop a good sear. Season the meat with:½ teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and pinch of saltAdd 1 finely diced onion (a yellow onion works well) and continue cooking over medium-high heat. Break the ground meat into small pieces and allow it to caramelize rather than steam.
- In a small bowl, combine:This creates the classic garlic yogurt topping with a tangy garlicky yogurt flavor that balances the rich meat and butter.1 cup plain Greek yogurt, two grated garlic cloves, pinch of salt
- The final layer is a warm paprika butter drizzle.In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat until fully melts.Stir in:Let the spices bloom for about 30 seconds to create a fragrant butter sauce.½ teaspoon sweet paprika¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, pinch of salt
- Place the cooked pasta into a large serving dish. Spoon the ground beef mixture over the pasta, then add generous dollops of the garlic yogurt.Drizzle the warm paprika butter over the top and finish with chopped cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and a little extra black pepper.The contrast of warm pasta, cool yogurt, and spiced butter is what makes this Turkish pasta recipe so irresistible.
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