Pasta tossed with spiced ground turkey, creamy yogurt sauce, and paprika butter for a flavorful Turkish-inspired meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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)
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. 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 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook 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 another 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 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 create a silky sauce.
07 - Spread a spoonful of yogurt sauce on each plate. Top with pasta and turkey mixture, drizzle with paprika butter, and garnish with fresh dill or parsley.
