If you’ve ever tried Turkish mantı, you know it's a labour of love. Tiny handmade dumplings filled with seasoned meat, served with garlicky yoghurt and a drizzle of spicy butter—it’s Turkish comfort food at its finest. But what if you’re craving those flavours without all the folding and fiddly prep? That's where this easy turkish pasta recipe comes in!
Turkish pasta or Yalancı Mantı literally meaning “fake” or “imposter” mantı is a delicious shortcut dish that gives you all the flavour of traditional mantı with a fraction of the work. It’s quick, satisfying, and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
What Is Yalancı Mantı (Turkish Pasta)
Yalancı Mantı is a beloved Turkish pasta dish that mimics the taste and presentation of traditional mantı dumplings. Instead of wrapping spiced meat in dough, you cook seasoned minced meat with onions and tomato and red pepper paste, then spoon it over boiled pasta—usually small shapes like the small shells I used above.
It’s typically topped with a generous dollop of garlic yoghurt and finished with a chilli-infused butter drizzle. The result? A dish that’s hearty, creamy, tangy, spicy, and incredibly satisfying—without hours in the kitchen.
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Ingredients
There aren't really many more ingredients needed to make Turkish pasta than in a spaghetti bolognese. Get everything together and prepared before you start cooking. It's easier that way. You can also work ahead, making the meat sauce, yoghurt sauce and butter sauce a day or two ahead of assembling it all and serving.
- Small pasta shells
- Salt for boiling water
- Butter
- Olive oil
- FOR THE MEAT
- Light olive oil
- Onions
- Ground beef or lamb
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or mild chili flakes (optional)
- Red pepper paste
- Tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE YOGHURT SAUCE
- Full Fat Greek Yoghurt
- Garlic
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt to taste
- FOR THE SPICED BUTTER
- Butter
- Pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or mild chili flakes
- Sumac
- Red Pepper paste
- Fresh mint leaves
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step photos
Check out my step by step photos below to see for yourself just how easy it is to make this amazing Turkish pasta.
- Step 1: Bring water to a boil and add salt. It should taste salty but not overly so.
- Step 2: Cook the pasta as the package instructions. The add about tsp butter and a tsp olive oil and stir it in to stop the pasta from sticking together. Keep warm. Retain about 500ml (2 cups) of the water used to cook the pasta.
- Step 3: Add the garlic, lemon juice and salt to taste to the yoghurt.
- Step 4: Whisk the yoghurt until creamy smooth. This needs to be served at room temperature. Set aside until ready to serve. If you refrigerate it, take it out at lease 30 minutes before serving.
- Step 5: Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and add the chopped onions. Fry the onions for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Then stir in the chopped garlic.
- Step 6: Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking the large lumps with a spoon. I recommend getting right in there with your spoon to ensure there are no lumps.
- Step 7: Stir in the pul biber, paprika and cumin.
- Step 8: Move the cooked meat to the side and add the pepper paste and tomato paste and let it fry for about two minutes, stirring as you do.
- Step 9: Pour about 500ml (2 cups) of the reserved pasta water into the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Step 10: Simmer covered for about 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook the sauce down until it is thick but not at all dry.
- Step 11: To make the butter sauce, melt the butter over a medium heat and stir in the pul biber, sumac and mint leaves.
- Step 12: For more spicy heat and colour, you can also stir in a teaspoon or two of red pepper paste.
- Step 13: To serve, place a portion of the warm pasta on each of 4 to 6 plates. Top each with a generous portion of the yoghurt sauce.
- Step 14: Add the meat sauce and drizzle it all with the butter sauce.
Substitutions
Get creative and substitute ingredients as you like. Here are some popular substitutes.
- Non-Dairy Yoghurt - Use plant-based yoghurt (coconut, soy, almond) with a squeeze of lemon and garlic for a vegan version or if you are lactose intolerant.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten-free pasta or chickpea/lentil pasta for dietary needs. The flavour will remain mouthwatering delicious if the sauce and toppings are rich.
- Other Meats - Try ground chicken or turkey for a leaner version with a slightly lighter flavour.
Equipment
The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t require any special equipment. Here’s what you’ll need:
Large pot – for boiling your pasta
Frying pan or sauté pan – for cooking the meat mixture
Mixing bowl – to prepare the yoghurt sauce
Small saucepan or butter warmer – for the spiced butter topping
Garlic press or fine grater – to prepare the garlic yoghurt (optional). I use a knife
Colander – for draining pasta
Storage and leftovers
Yalancı Mantı keeps surprisingly well, making it ideal for meal prep or leftovers.
- Fridge: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the components separate if possible (pasta, meat sauce, yoghurt, and butter topping), but if it’s all assembled, it’ll still reheat nicely.
- Reheating: Gently reheat the pasta and meat sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can warm the yoghurt slightly or serve it cold as traditionally done. The spiced butter can be quickly remelted and drizzled over.
- Freezing: You can freeze the meat sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving over freshly cooked pasta.
Note: Pasta that’s already mixed with yoghurt may split or become grainy when reheated, so it’s best added fresh.
A Brief Look at Manti's Origins.
To appreciate Turkish Pasta, Yalancı Mantı, it helps to understand the real deal. Mantı is believed to have come to Anatolia with Turkic nomads from Central Asia. You'll find my recipe here. These tiny dumplings—filled with meat and steamed or boiled—are found in variations across the Turkic world, including Uzbek, Kazakh, and Uyghur cuisines.
In Turkey, Kayseri is famous for its mantı, where the dumplings are so small they say 40 can fit in a spoon! Making mantı is a communal activity often reserved for holidays or family gatherings. That’s why Yalancı Mantı was born—for those days when you want the same comforting flavours without spending hours folding dough.
Top Tip
Prepare ahead! The sauces can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 2–3 days. Just cook fresh pasta when ready to serve. Heat up the meat and butter sauce and ensure that your yoghurt sauce is room temperature. Then just assemble it all and enjoy.
Final Thoughts.
Yalancı Mantı might be the “imposter,” but there’s nothing fake about the flavour. It’s rich, creamy, comforting, and ready in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re new to Turkish food or already a fan of its bold, balanced flavours, this pasta dish deserves a spot in your regular meal rotation.
It’s the kind of dish that feels like home, even if you’ve never been to Turkey.
FAQ
Pul biber is a mildly spicy, slightly fruity Turkish chilli flake. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with Aleppo pepper which is the closest match, a mix of paprika and a pinch of cayenne or just regular red chilli flakes but use less as they are hotter.
This is a key ingredient and you really should try to get some. If you can't, you can make it using this recipe or just add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste instead.
I tested this on my one and five year old grand kids. They loved it and did not find it too spicy. This dish is mild and customisable. Just reduce the garlic and chilli butter a bit if needed, and you’ve got a family-friendly dinner everyone can enjoy.
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Pairing
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Turkish Pasta
This delicious Turkish pasta can be prepared in just 30 minutes. It's tastes amazing so I hope you give this a try soon!
Ingredients
- 500g small pasta shells
- Salt for boiling water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- FOR THE MEAT
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 500g ground beef or lamb
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or mild chili flakes (optional)
- 4 tbsp pepper paste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE YOGHURT SAUCE
- 2 cups plain thick Full Fat Greek-style
- 6 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt to taste
- FOR THE SPICED BUTTER
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or mild chili flakes
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, tossing with a drizzle of olive oil and a tablespoon butter to prevent sticking. Be sure to retain about 500ml (2 cups) of the pasta water.
- To make the yoghurt sauce, whisk the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt to taste together until creamy smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef or lamb and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon. I recommend getting right in there with your spoon to ensure there are no lumps. Stir in cumin, paprika and pul biber and stir it all together to combine. Push the meat to the outside of the pan leaving a small well in the centre.
- Then add the pepper paste and tomato paste and let it fry for 2 minutes and then stir it into the meat.
- Pour in about 500ml (2 cups) of the reserved pasta water and cover to simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook it right down to thicken. It should be a thick sauce but not dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.
- Now make the butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the chopped mint, if using and let it sizzle for a minute. Add the pul biber (or chilli flakes) and let it sizzle for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning and stir in the sumac. You can also add a teaspoon or two of red pepper paste for additional spicy heat and colour.
- To serve, add a large serving portion of pasta on each of four plates. Top generously with yoghurt sauce and some of the meat sauce. Drizzle each with a little more yoghurt and then spoon over the butter sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1045Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 882mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 60g
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