Turkish Spiced Lamb Pasta with Garlic Yoghurt and Chilli Butter

Place the strained Greek yoghurt, finely grated garlic, 3 g fine sea salt, and 30 ml water into a small mixing bowl, then whisk together until thoroughly smooth and creamy. Set aside at room temperature so it is not cold when plated.

Peel and finely dice the yellow onion, mince the 2 cloves of garlic for the meat, and finely chop the flat-leaf parsley on a clean cutting board using a chef's knife. Wash your hands, knife, and cutting board with hot soapy water immediately before and after handling raw meat to eliminate cross-contamination risks.

Pour 3500 ml water into a large pot, cover with a lid, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat at 100 C (212 F), then dissolve 25 g fine sea salt into the water.

Add the conchiglie pasta to the boiling salted water and simmer uncovered over medium-high heat at 100 C (212 F) for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the shells from nesting or sticking.

Scoop out and reserve 60 ml of starchy pasta water, then empty the pasta shells into a colander in the sink to drain thoroughly before returning the drained pasta to the warm, empty large pot off the heat.

Heat 15 ml olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat at 160 C (320 F), add the diced onion, and sauté with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the ground lamb and minced garlic to the skillet, breaking the meat apart into small crumbs with the wooden spoon, and sear over medium-high heat at 175 C (350 F) for 5 minutes until no raw pink color remains and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre of the meat crumbles registers at least 71 C (160 F).

Stir the tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet paprika, dried mint, black pepper, 4 g fine sea salt, and 60 ml water into the browned lamb, then simmer over medium-low heat at 95 C (203 F) for 4 minutes until the sauce thickens and tightly glazes the meat.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat at 120 C (248 F), melt the unsalted butter with 15 ml olive oil until foaming, then stir in the Aleppo pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and dried mint, gently swirling the pan for 1 minute until the foaming subsides and the oil turns ruby red.

Transfer half of the warm spiced lamb mixture and 30 ml of the reserved pasta cooking water into the pot containing the drained pasta, tossing gently with a wooden spoon until the pasta shells are lightly coated and glossed with pan juices.

Divide the tossed pasta evenly among 4 wide serving bowls, spoon the room-temperature garlic yoghurt generously over the centre of each portion, and top the yoghurt with the remaining warm spiced lamb.

Drizzle the hot sizzled Aleppo chilli butter generously over the yoghurt and lamb in each bowl, then scatter the finely chopped parsley leaves and ground sumac across the top and serve immediately.