Melissa Clark's Pasta with Turkish-Style Beef, Eggplant and Yogurt Sauce

Oof. That ever happen to you? You spend a big part of your evening grocery shopping, prepping, and cooking, only to find yourself - twenty minutes later - staring at the half-eaten plate of pasta in front of you, wishing you'd just fixed a salad?

I hate it when that happens. Especially when it's with a recipe I've been hoarding forever - and something that sounds as good as pasta with turkish-style lamb, eggplant and yogurt sauce. Right? Sounds tasty, doesn't it? The thing is, the meal indeed was pretty good. I used Melissa Clark's recipe, subbing ground beef for lamb (it's what I had in the freezer). What you do is roast eggplant at very high heat - a nice little trick in and of itself, since you end up with meltingly soft on the inside, super-crisp on the outside, addictive little eggplant cubes - and then combine that with sauteed ground beef flavored with shallots, minced garlic and a generous amount of Aleppo pepper.

(Aleppo pepper! Aleppo pepper. I could say that all day long. It just rolls off the tongue so nicely, wouldn't you say? Aleppo pepper!)

You serve that mixture over boiled pasta (orecchiette would be best) and top it off with browned butter and garlicky yogurt. Manti, deconstructed, as Melissa says. So, yes, it's all very delicious and interesting and all that, but still, I just couldn't get my appetite up.

Am I secretly - even to myself - considering vegetarianism? Was it just too much food (Melissa says this serves 2 to 3 people, but eyeballing my leftovers, I think at least 4 could be happy)? Did I get overwhelmed by the amount of leftovers staring me down? It's a Thursday morning mystery, is what it is. In the meantime, does anyone want to come over for dinner tonight?

Pasta with Turkish-Style Beef, Eggplant and Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4

1 large eggplant, about 1 pound, in 1/2 -inch cubes
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, more to taste
3 fat garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon red pepper, preferably Turkish or Aleppo, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, more to taste
1/2 pound orecchiette or penne pasta
2 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, to taste (I barely used a tablespoon)
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta.

2. Toss eggplant with 4 tablespoons oil and a large pinch of salt (I also mistakenly added one minced garlic clove here). Spread on a baking sheet, making sure there is room between pieces, and roast until crisp and brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and the shallot and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and black pepper to taste. Sauté until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir eggplant into beef. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter: the amount is to your taste. Let cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, remaining garlic (well, I didn't have any remaining garlic, plus I don't like raw garlic, so I left the yogurt garlic-less) and a pinch of salt.

5. Drain pasta and spread on a serving platter. Top with beef-eggplant mixture, then with yogurt sauce. Pour melted butter over top. Sprinkle on additional red pepper and more mint. Serve immediately.

Comments

[Lynn]

I love the sound of this! My daughter, home between travels, is leaning toward vegetarianism herself, and I'm quite sure this would be easy to do as three seperate toppings instead of two, so she could pass on the beef/lamb. I'll surely give it a try!

[maggie (p&c)]

Ooh, lovelove the roasted eggplant. I wonder if this would be a little less overwhelming with ground turkey (the good stuff from the farmer's market?) Or maybe lamb is just a little more fragrant? There's only so much ground beef a girl can eat.
Some nights, though, it's better to make a fried egg.

[Kim]

Bummer. This looks delicious. Maybe just not a summer thing, with all the beautiful fruits and veggies at the market? Is it hot in New York this week?

[Luisa]

Lynn - such a good idea. That eggplant was addictive! I'll definitely be preparing it that way again.

Maggie - ground turkey is a good idea!

Kim - ha! Hot! Sob. Nah, it's been raining for a month now and it's pretty chilly, too - only in the 60's. I have no idea what got into me, but I'm just eating vegetables now for a bit.

[Adrienne]

Maybe you just have a case of meat fatigue? That happens to me, I go veg for a day or three, and eventually find myself craving meat again. Either way, this is a really interesting recipe, and the eggplant sounds divine. I'll be bookmarking it :)

[Levent]

We call it as "alinazik" meal for turkish-style lamb, eggplant and yogurt sauce. It different, bu you can find the recipe forum hier: http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2006/03/ali-nazik.php or http://www.devletsah.com/ali-nazik/

[Kathy]

I've made this dish several times and love it. For me, I think the lamb is key. As Maggie says - the fragrance is different. When I cook lamb, I immediately think Turkey. Having lived there for a year many moons ago... that smell still puts me back in that place. Ah, scent memories...

[Sara]

This does sound good.

Some days your stomach just doesn't match your intentions...

[Laura]

Sounds delicious...I have been on such an eggplant kick lately so this is perfect.

[Jen]

I definitely have those "shoulda been a salad" nights. When feeling that vibe, I usually sneak most of the veggies for myself and serve the meat to my man, which he prefers. The tender roasted eggplant dipped in the Greek yogurt works just fine for me.

[yasmin]

i would definitely be there for dinner tonight, because this looks good and because you live in new york. but i am vegetarian. as a true meat-lover, it scared and shocked me to make the switch. but you're a food-lover like me so you wouldn't sacrifice good eating. i know i don't!

[tara]

I would happily come to dinner, (and would bring wine and possibly gingernsaps too), but I could see how this might be a bit much, depending on your mood. Meat fatigue might be it. The recipe does sound delicious, though.

It's raining here too, and has been for days.

[Sues]

Wow! This is so unique and looks delicious. I don't think I've ever stared at a plate of pasta unable to eat it :)

[A Mouse Bouche]

Yes, please.

[Maija]

I had the same feeling on Monday after making a pasta dish w/broccoli, edamame, pesto & walnuts (with lemon & parm). It was just uh, okay.

The next day as leftovers for lunch, yum, so good! Sometimes pasta dishes are just better the 2nd day, after the sauce soaks into the pasta & the flavors of the sauce gel.

[Christina]

I made this over the winter, using ground lamb, and loved it. However, at the time I remember thinking that the ratio of ground meat to pasta seemed off to me, and so I doubled the amount of pasta. I didn't want the dish to be overwhelmed with so much meat. But it didn't work--there was too much pasta. The next time I make it, I will follow the recipe. But I think using lamb is key as well! Sorry to ramble...

[Luisa]

Sara - I think you hit the nail on the head. :)

Tara - gingersnaps and wine sound GREAT! Come on over.

Christina - I think I just wasn't in the mood for meat, no matter what kind. But I totally agree, by the way, that there's too much meat for the pasta here.

[Melissa Clark]

Luisa- thanks so much for making this and writing about it. I think though, that substituting beef for lamb was the problem. Beef has a lot more fat than lamb, so the dish was probably much heavier and greasier than the original. It's definitely rich enough as is!

Anyway, just thought I'd weigh in, I really love this dish (though I agree it serves 4, my husband and I pigged out on it the first time I made it, but having made it since, I've been more moderate and it's been enough for the two of us to dine on twice...)

[Barbara]

I've been there- your appetite disappears as you stare down at your plate. Why does it always seem to happen when you have been working on a new dish? And I agree-I think a lot of recipes serve more than the recipe indicates. Nonetheless, this sounds like a super good recipe.

[stephen]

the combo of beef, yogurt, mint and eggplant makes my mouth water. Nice simple dish, easy and fulfilling. nice photo too.

[Luisa]

Melissa - good to know! For some reason, I thought lamb would be too heavy. In any case, I reheated the leftovers last night, mixed everything together so the flavors melded and then brought it up to share my neighbors where the whole thing was gobbled up happily. :)

[Dawn in CA]

Okay, I must warn you that my comment may be a tad inappropriate and intrusive, but... is there any possibility that you are pregnant? My tastes completely changed during my pregnancies. With my son, I simply could not bear salad of any sort. And I am a person who LOVES salad. With my twins, it was pork and ground beef. Didn't matter how delicious that grilled pork chop or juicy burger looked, I absolutely couldn't stomach it.

Just sayin'. ;) Then again, it could simply be that your tastebuds are ready for summer, but with all the rain your brain still thinks it's winter.

[Lisa]

I am so excited to see this recipe on your blog! I made it the day it came out in the NYT last year and when I asked for ground lamb at the Union Square Farmers Market, the woman said "Oh, you're making that lamb and yogurt sauce recipe, aren't you?" Turns out EVERYONE was.

I highly recommend making it with lamb instead (actually the first time I made it with ground mutton since they were out of lamb). I'm sad to hear you weren't in the mood but I think it's also more of a cold-weather dish. Still, anything that involves the line of "pour melted butter over the top" can hardly be a negative experience, right?

[denise]

i have been eating a lot of vegetables lately and i think it is catching up with me because this meaty dish looks fantastic! i think i'll try it tonight, with lamb. thanks!

[Paula]

I added a splash of half-and-half to the lamb mixture right before serving...played off of the crisp, clean yogurt and pepper beautifully.

[agatha]

it's the weather...i love beef (and lamb even more) but the humidity has driven my appetite towards garlicky salads, roasted vegetables, and iced bubbly drinks. thanks for writing such a wonderful blog. i've been following it for a long time and always anticipate your next posting.

[Treehouse Chef]

this looks incredible! I am sold! off to the grocery I go.

[elizabeth]

Made this yesterday, only with ground turkey and it was quite delicious--my only change would be to add more eggplant.

[Wendy]

I've been making this since it was first published and my family loves it! I use bowties and very little butter as you did. It serves 4 of us (including a teenaged boy!) and there are leftovers. I think the key is grass fed lamb - much better flavor and not as fatty. Try it again when it's colder!

[Gunseli]

I would use rice as a base instead of pasta, to make the meal lighter, easier to digest. As for lamb versus beef, lamb is fattier indeed, but a lot more flavorful. So I agree that it is the key, especially with eggplant dishes. One more suggestion: I would keep the yogurt separate. A thick yogurt soup served on the side (yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, salt, fresh or dried mint, a few cubes of ice, a touch of olive oil) would make it a lighter, more summer-y meal.

[SP]

Hi Luisa, I made this last week and loved it! I followed Melissa Clark's version with lamb and it was great. One thing, I think I'd add more eggplant next time. Hope all is well in Berlin!