Mini meatball manti macaroni

2 tsp red chili flakes

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cups fresh parsley

7 cups vegetable broth

1 tbs honey

3 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni

2 tsp crushed red chili flakes

salt

156 ml tomato paste

2 tsp dried mint

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

1 cup water

1 tbs olive oil

1 white onion

pepper

500 g ground lamb

1 cup breadcrumbs

water

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

1 tsp dried sumac

1/4 cup salted butter

Step 1

Make the meatballs. combine the lamb, grated onion, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste in a mixing bowl. mix well with your hands until everything is incorporated and thoroughly mixed. the meatball mixture should be a little tacky.

Step 2

In a large, deep saucepan or pot, heat about 1 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. once hot, add the meatballs (try to add in a single layer and do not stack). let the meatballs sit untouched for a minute or two, then gently stir to start browning the other sides. repeat this process of letting the meatballs sit and gently stirring for 6-10 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned on the outside and no longer pink - they do not need to be fully cooked. make sure to be gentle with them at this stage so they do not break.

Step 3

Add the uncooked macaroni, broth/water and bouillon cube, salt to taste, and bay leaf. if using broth instead of water and a bouillon cube, reduce the amount of salt you add. reduce the heat to medium/medium low, cover, and let it simmer for 12-15 mins until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked. you still want a fair amount of broth in the pan, as this pasta is meant to be juicy like a manti dumpling. remove the pasta from heat once fully cooked through.

Step 4

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sweet tomato butter sauce and the garlic yogurt. start with the tomato sauce. in a medium sized saucepan or pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. once hot, add the dried mint, crushed red pepper flakes, sumac, and ground cumin. stir well and allow the spices to fry lightly for 30-45 seconds, stirring the whole time so not to burn, before adding the honey, tomato paste and water. stir to fully combine into a thin sauce. taste and add salt if needed, then stir in the cooked chickpeas/split peas if using. set aside until ready to use.

Step 5

Make the garlic sauce. combine the plain yogurt and grated garlic. i used 10% yogurt, so i added about 1/4 cup of water to thin it out. if using a lower percentage yogurt, you may want to skip the water.

Step 6

Assemble the manti pasta. scoop out the brothy pasta either in a single serving in a bowl, or dish out all of the pasta on a serving platter. dollop with the sweet tomato butter sauce, and then drizzle with the garlic yogurt. serve immediately.