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Turkish-Style Noodles with Butter, Walnuts and Feta

Turkish-Style Noodles with Butter, Walnuts and Feta

Türkiye’s buttery pasta dish cevizli erişte is a riot of flavor and texture like none other: creamy feta, toasted walnuts, lemon, and heat.

By Dimitri DemopolousApril 25, 2023

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

This recipe is inspired by cevizli erişte, a Turkish pasta dish with toasted walnuts, ample butter and briny, semi-firm cheese. Erişte are short, thin egg noodles, typically made in the late summer or early fall, then dried in the sun. We’ve replaced them with easier-to-find fresh fettuccine, cut into bite-sized pieces. You also can use 12 ounces of dried egg noodles. As for the cheese, we found tangy feta added a sharp creaminess that complements the rich butter and walnuts perfectly. Lemon, dried mint and parsley all bring bright, fresh notes, while Aleppo pepper contributes earthy complexity and heat.

Ingredients
  • 16-18

    ounces fresh fettuccine, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • ¾

    cup walnuts, finely chopped

  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter

  • 1 ½

    teaspoons Aleppo pepper or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika plus ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1

    teaspoon dried mint (optional)

  • 1

    teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 4

    ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

  • ½

    cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Step 1

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium, toast the walnuts, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.

Step 3

To the skillet still over medium, add the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 1 minute. Add the Aleppo pepper, mint (if using) and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon zest and juice, pasta and reserved cooking water; toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced and begins to cling to the pasta, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in the walnuts, feta and parsley, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.

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