Turkish people love pasta and my dear son, Can is definitely one of them. This used to be one of his favorites when he was younger, now he is creating his own recipes.
I like to prepare this “pasta al Forno” with a Turkish twist. Although it is a hearty meal and looks complicated, it is definitely not. It does not make a big mess, looks like lasagna but it is much easier. The material is quite straight forward too. Here it goes;
First get the pasta. If possible pick the type of pasta shown in the picture, called bucatini. If not available farfalle, penne rigate or even normal spaghetti will do. 
Pick a tall, wide pot to cook the pasta. Add about 2 litres of water and a teaspoon full of salt after the water comes to boil. Do not add oil. Put the pasta in, do not break the pasta if using long ones. Mix several times. Close the lid. Wait around, the water will come to boil again very soon. You need to watch out or there will be starchy water all around. When the water boils, remove the lid and stir again. Do not cook the pasta all the way, cook only 3/4’th of the time you would normally cook, as you will be cooking it in the oven too. So when pasta is not even “all dente” remove from the heat and drain. Do not rinse.
While the pasta is cooking prepare the yogurt mixture. One of the things I like about this dish is you do not have much to clean afterwards. Pick your oven dish. In it break an egg, grate your cheese, mix with olive oil, melted butter, crushed garlic cloves.
When the pasta is ready, pour it into the yogurt mixture. Mix until all the pasta is surrounded with the yogurt mixture. On top put additional cheese slices and finally sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Cook about 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180° Celsius until the cheese on top melts and gets golden on the top and bottom.
Enjoy warm with a nice, fresh salad such as Spinach Salad with White Raddish.
Turkish Style Pasta in the Oven
Ingredients
To cook the pasta
- 500 grams pasta bucatini, farfalle or spaggetti
- 1 teaspoon salt
The mixture
- 2 eggs
- 500 grams yogurt plain
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 200 grams white – feta cheese
- 25 grams fresh kashar cheese Muenster, provolone or similar will do
- 1 tablespoons butter melted
- 50 grams olive oil
On top
- 75 grams fresh kashar cheese Muenster, provolone or similar will do
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Cooking the pasta
- Add about 2 litres of water to your spaggeti pot. Use a tall pot if possible, so when the water boils, it will not sprinkle around-definitely worth the investment. Bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Add the pasta. If you can find the type of spagetti shown in picture, it will work the best. If not available farfalle or penne will do. Try not to break the spagetti. Stir often at first and then occasionally. Cover the lid, until the water comes to boil again.
- Once the water comes to boil again, open the lid and stir. Cook the spagetti only half way, as it will be cooked again in the oven. Drain, set aside. Do not rinse.
The Mixture
- Meanwhile prepare the mixture. Break the eggs in your serving dish. Whisk slightly.
- Grate the white-peta cheese.
- Melt the butter.
- Crush the garlic cloves.
- Grate also about 25 gram of the fresh kashar cheese. If you cannot find it muenster, provolone or similar cheese will do.
- Mix the egg, yogurt, chrushed garlic cloves, white cheese, melted butter, olive oil and the grated fresh kashar cheese in the oven dish. Do not add salt as there will be enough salt in the cheese.
Combining and cooking
- When the pasta is ready pour it on to the yogurt mixture and mix well.
- Slice the remaining fresh kashar cheese evenly on top. Might not cover completely, it will be fine.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180° Celsius until golden on top and bottom. It will take about 20 minutes.