Kıymasız (Mince-Free Chestnut Mushroom & Puy Lentil Conchiglie Pasta) Garavollİ

Okay, welcome to another episode of “Simple Twists” where I take some of my most popular recipes, or some really traditional ones, and give them a proper “Meliz’s Cooks” twist. Today is the turn of my ever-popular Kıymalı Garavolli (One Pot Lamb Mince & Pasta) which I have given a simple twist to make it “Kıymasız Garavolli” (One Pot Mince-Free Chestnut Mushroom & Puy Lentil Conchiglie Pasta). It is genuinely INCREDIBLE, flavour-packed, umami laden, and dare I say it, you won’t miss the mince at all! Full recipe below, method on the video here, please make it. 

Serves 4

GARLIC YOGHURT:

1 tsp finely grated garlic

150 g thick set natural

yoghurt

1/4 tsp sea salt flakes

TOPPING: 

100 g (3½ oz) hellim (halloumi), finely grated

1 tsp dried mint

ONE-POT PASTA: 

1 vegetable stock cube + 1.2 litres (2 pints) boiling water OR 500ml fresh vegetable stock

/ broth + 600ml boiling water 

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3/4 tsp sea salt flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp finely grated fresh garlic 

1 tsp tomato purée

400g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped, 1cm dice

250g vac-packed, cooked put lentils 

1 tsp pomegranate molasses

1 tsp balsamic vinegar 

½ tsp ground black pepper

300 g (10½ oz) conchiglie pasta

2 bay leaves

25 fresh flat leaves parsley, finely chopped 

CHILLI BUTTER:

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sweet (mild) red pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası)

1 tsp pul biber

1 tsp dried mint

METHOD 

Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water in a heatproof jug and leave to one side.

Mix together the garlic yoghurt ingredients in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until later. 

Combine the finely grated hellim and dried mint in a small bowl. 

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Sprinkle in half of the salt, stir, and soften the onions for 10–12 minutes until they turn a lovely light golden-brown colour. Add the cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon to the softened onions, stir well so that the spices release their aromatics, then stir through the garlic, followed by the tomato purée, ensuring the onions are fully coated. 

Add the mushrooms to the pan, and stir constantly so all the flavours and ingredients in the pan integrate with the mushrooms, slowly helping them to soften down. Increase the heat a little, season with remaining salt and keep softening the mushrooms until they reduce by about half and are rich and juicy in colour. Add the pomegranate molasses and balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms, stir well, then the puy lentils, stirring again then add the pasta, stirring gently so that the sauce starts is mixed through the hard pasta shells. 

Gently pour in the stock, stir, add the bay leaves, bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium simmer for 10–12 minutes. Stir a couple

of times as it cooks, being careful not to break apart the pasta shells. Once the pasta is cooked through (but still al dente) and the liquid has mostly reduced but is still “saucy”, remove the pan from the heat and give it a gentle stir.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the chilli butter. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the olive oil. When it starts to sizzle, stir through the sweet red pepper paste, pul biber and dried mint. Let it just start to bubble, then remove from the heat.

Serve the pasta on plates with a sprinkling of the hellim and mint mixture, a dollop of the

Garlic Yoghurt and a drizzling of the Chilli Butter.