Recipe: Persian Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni) with Tahdig

Tahdig is the finest delicacy in Persian culture – the crispy bottom layer on rice and pasta dishes that is lovingly referred to as Persian Crack. Most Iranian kids grow up begging for it and then fighting over the last piece. Persian Espaghetti, more commonly known as Macaroni, is not only a perfect excuse to make pasta tahdig but delicious in and of itself. It’s essentially spaghetti with Persian-spiced meat sauce that gets steamed to form a beautiful tahdig crust.

Persian Accents 101: We call it espaghetti because with the Persian accent any word that starts with an ‘s’ gets an ‘e’ sound added in front of it. Spaghetti becomes espaghetti, school becomes eschool and Starbucks becomes Esssstarbucks.

Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni)

Recipe at the bottom!

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One of the beautiful things about tahdig is you never know what it will look like when you flip it over… a surprise piece of edible artwork each time. Here are some of my tahdig ‘designs’ over the past year – some are prettier than others, but all equally tasty.

Persian Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni) with Tahdig

Persian Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni) with Tahdig

Fun fact: An Italian colleague informed me that they have a similar version of this dish called Fried Spaghetti where the pasta is fried like a torta to form crispy edges. And the Spanish have socarrat, the crispy bottom of paella which is the true sign of a good paella. I’m starting to think most cultures appreciate crispy edges… any other examples?

Persian Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni) with Tahdig

Recipe: Persian Espaghetti (Persian Macaroni) with Tahdig

 

Author: Ahu Shahrabani

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Persian

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  60 mins

Total time:  1 hour 20 mins

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Persian Espaghetti, also known as Persian Macaroni. Pasta and meat sauce all cooked Persian style with a delicious crust known as tahdig.

Ingredients

• 1 package of spaghetti noodles
• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ a large onion, diced
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (yes, I use jarred sauce, deal with it!)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Canola or Vegetable oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and saute your onions for 2-3 minutes until they are translucent.
2. Add the turmeric and saute for another minute. Breathe deep and take in the wonderful aroma.
3. Add the beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until all the meat is browned. Salt and pepper generously.
4. Open up your marinara sauce (I really like the Newman’s Own Marinara) and dump it into the pan with the meat. Make sure you’re wearing an apron, because you’re at a high risk for splatter here.
5. Optional: add in a few dashes of red pepper flakes for a little kick. As you may know I love my food with a little spiciness, so I always add in the pepper flakes!
6. Simmer the sauce on low for 20-25 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
7. Cook your spaghetti to just under al dente (I like to stop 2 minutes before the suggested cook time on the package) and drain the noodles when done.
8. Coat the bottom of a deep, non-stick pot with oil.
9. Add a layer of the noodles to cover the bottom of the pot, then layer the meat sauce and pasta until it’s all in.
10. Form a ‘dam-koni’ by putting a thick paper towel or dish towel around the lid of the pot (*important: make sure to knot the towel securely against the handle of the pot so it doesn’t get near the stove) and then cover the pot tightly. The dam-kon serves to steam the pasta as it cooks.
11. Cover tightly and cook on medium-low for 30-40 minutes. Do not open the lid while cooking or else the steam will escape! ***Note: this is where you can say a prayer to the tahdig gods that your tahdig comes out well.
12. Open the lid and breathe in again. Place your serving plate upside-down on top of the pot and (with a firm grip) flip the pot over and wait for the *thud* of the espaghetti against the plate. Lift the pot away and take in the beauty of your espaghetti and tahdig.
13. Slice it up like a pie and enjoy!

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