MANILA, Philippines — Pasta is basically Italian. It has been adopted by different countries, whose chefs, cooks and culinary experts have whipped up their own pasta variations using ingredients that are readily available to them in particular.
The Philippines, for example, has created the sweet style tomato-based spaghetti with hotdog and cheese. Filipinos also have malunggay and kangkong pesto pasta. But have you ever wondered what Turkish pasta would be like?
Giving Filipinos a taste of Turkish-style pasta is The Maya Kitchen, which recently came up with this very interesting Turkish Tomato Pasta with Spiced Butter. Try making it.
Turkish Tomato Pasta with Spiced Butter
Ingredients:
For the tomato beef sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pc. onion, chopped
1/2 kg. ground beef
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. Spanish paprika (sweet or smoked)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsps. Maya All Purpose Flour
2 tbsps. tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups beef stock
3/4 tsp. fine salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
500 grams short pasta (penne, fusilli, or macaroni)
2 tbsps. butter (for pasta)
Procedure:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Toss in chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
2. Add ground beef and cook until meat is browned.
3. Season with chili flakes, paprika, cumin, and onion powder. Mix well.
4. Stir in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix into the meat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in tomato sauce.
5. Pour in beef stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat.
6. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Use pasta water to loosen the pasta.
7. Heat butter in a wok or large frying pan. As soon as butter starts to brown, toss in cooked pasta. Toss to coat pasta with burnt butter over high heat.
8. Transfer pasta to a serving dish.
For the garlic yogurt sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp. grated fresh garlic
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. fine salt
Procedure:
1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt.
2. Mix well, then set aside.
3. Assemble the dish. Arrange cooked pasta in a serving bowl. Pour tomato beef sauce over the pasta. Top with garlic yogurt sauce.
For the spiced butter:
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Procedure:
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
2. When butter is completely melted, season with paprika and chili powder.
3. Drizzle hot spiced butter over the pasta.
For garnish:
Chopped mint leaves
Procedure:
1. Garnish pasta in serving bowl with chopped mint leaves.
2. Serve immediately.