Iranian Style Crispy Pasta "Makaroni Tahdig" by Chef Omid Roustaei "The Caspian Chef"

#FarhangFlavor Episode 7: Chef Omid Roustaei

Chef Omid Rostaei "The Caspian Chef" shares his unique and delicious recipe for the classic Iranian pasta dish MAKARONI TADIG, the perfect Persian comfort food. Follow Chef Roustaei:
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Ingredients
Meat sauce
1 onion, diced
5 tablespoons oil, divided
1 pound beef, ground
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, adjust to your taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1 teaspoon Advieh (Persian spice mix)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1 fresh lemon, juiced
Pasta
10-12 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
1 pound bucatini pasta, or spaghetti

Instructions:

Meat sauce
In a large frying pan, saute the onions with 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until translucent.
Add the ground meat and continue to saute for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, or until the meat has turned light brown.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric, Advieh and tomato paste, and stir over medium-high heat for 5 additional minutes.

Once all the spices and tomato paste have been well incorporated into the meat, add 1 cup of water and lemon juice, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 additional minutes. Set aside.

Pasta
In a large pot bring 10-12 cups of water and the salt to a boil.
Add the bucatini pasta and stir, and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Pasta should still be somewhat al dente at the end of the boiling process.
Drain the pasta using a colander and rinse ever so briefly to remove some but not all of the starch.

Assembly and cooking
Select a non-stick pot that's big enough to cook the pasta and meat in, without a lot of extra room. The pot should ideally be about two thirds full.
Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot, and decoratively cover the bottom of the pot with some of the slightly rinsed pasta. I make spirals out of 4-5 strands of pasta each, covering the bottom of the pot with as many spirals as necessary.
Add 1/3 of the remaining pasta, followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce. Continue alternating until all the pasta and meat sauce has been placed in the pot.
Wrap the lid with a clean towel and place on top of the pot. This will allow the pasta to steam.

Allow the pasta to steam over a medium-low heat for 40 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked, cautiously and swiftly invert the pasta out of the pot onto a large serving platter.
Serve with a side of Torshi, Persian pickled vegetables.

Notes:

Advieh – Persian spice mix: Combine equal portions of ground cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and rose petals. Store in a dark and airtight container for future use.
Alternatively, you can arrange a layer of potatoes or a tortilla in the bottom of the pot to create a potato or bread Tahdig.
You can replace the beef with ground turkey or lamb if you prefer.
To create a vegan dish, replace the beef with a variety of mushrooms and eggplants.

Noosh-e Jaan