A comforting Turkish-inspired pasta dish featuring medium shells tossed with a creamy Greek yogurt sauce, seasoned ground beef, fresh cherry tomatoes, parsley, and a vibrant paprika butter drizzle. This recipe is inspired by @annapaul.
1. Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 Cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Make the yogurt sauce: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and water until smooth. Set aside.
3. Make the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 mins, until softened. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper, and cook for 1 min to bloom the spices.
4. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 mins. Stir in 1/4 Cup of the reserved pasta water, adding a little more as needed to make the beef slightly saucy. Continue cooking for 1 more min.
5. Make the paprika butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the paprika and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
6. Divide the pasta among plates. Top with the yogurt sauce, followed by the beef mixture. Add the cherry tomatoes and parsley, and then drizzle the paprika butter over everything. Enjoy!
