Turkish Pasta with Paprika Butter (Printable Version)

A comforting blend of noodles, garlicky yogurt, and spiced paprika butter for busy nights.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Garlicky Yogurt

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

→ Paprika Chili Butter

07 - 4 tablespoons 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 Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - Combine Greek yogurt, minced garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside at room temperature.
03 - Melt butter with olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sweet paprika, chili flakes, and cumin if using. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and deep orange-red. Remove from heat.
04 - Toss drained pasta with reserved pasta water to loosen. Divide pasta among serving plates.
05 - Spoon generous dollops of garlicky yogurt over hot pasta. Drizzle with warm paprika chili butter evenly.
06 - Sprinkle chopped dill or parsley and freshly ground black pepper over each serving. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The garlicky yogurt creates a silky sauce without any cream, so it feels lighter than it actually is.
  • That paprika butter drizzle is the kind of thing that makes people ask what you did differently to pasta.
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the usual stress.
02 -
  • Don't use cold yogurt straight from the fridge unless you want a lumpy, broken sauce—bringing it to room temperature makes all the difference in how it clings to the pasta.
  • The paprika will burn if your heat is too high, turning bitter instead of sweet, so keep it to medium and watch it carefully.
03 -
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon—that starch is what helps the yogurt cling to the noodles instead of sliding off, so don't skip saving and using it.
  • Taste the yogurt mixture before plating and adjust salt or lemon juice then; yogurt mutes flavors, so it needs bolder seasoning than you'd expect.
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