An Afghan Spaghetti Sauce Recipe That Will Bowl You Over

written by Mirriam Seddiq
5 · 27 · 22

Let’s make a delicious spaghetti sauce recipe, Afghan style.

There is nothing like a delicious spaghetti sauce to make your taste buds happy. And, I have got the perfect recipe for you today – an Afghan spaghetti sauce that will bowl you over! This sauce is made with tomato sauce, vinegar, and spices, and it is combined with noodles to make the best pasta dish you have ever had.

Plus, I have an excellent Afghan cheese substitute that will blow your mind. So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Plated Afghan Spaghetti Sauce with Qurut Shavings

Your Base, the Afghan Tomato Sauce

Just like in Italian dishes, Afghan sauces make up the bases of our flavors. Whether it is a meat sauce, tomato sauce, or something delicious and yogurt-y, the sauce makes the dish.

Your mind is going to bend a little bit eating this dish. It presents itself like any other simple Italian pasta and red sauce recipe. But, appearances are not everything. When you take that first bite you will feel like you are eating an Afghan dish, just in some super new format that you are not used to yet. Everyone who has tried it has had a blast and made many “hmm, delicious!” comments.

The base spices, of course, are cumin and coriander. My secret is to use all tomato paste, no sauce. Sure, you can use fresh tomatoes, but not everyone has that time.

Tomato paste cooking in pan with spices

Using tomato paste gives you the best of both worlds because it won’t take you forever to cook that “can taste” out of the sauce.

Now to the super-secret Parmesan cheese replacement, qurut.

Want a cool recipe that also uses qurut, try our Afghan Nachos recipe here.

Qurut: It isn’t Parmesean Cheese, But It Sure Acts Like It

Now for those unfamiliar, it is not uncommon when eating pasta and red sauce to have some fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano. Why is this cheese so special? Here is why.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a type of cheese that originates from Italy. It is made from cow’s milk, and the milk is first curdled and then pressed into wheels. The wheels are then soaked in brine for 20-30 days. After that, they are left to age for 12-36 months.

parmigiano reggiano cheese
Warehouse with Blocks of Cheese

That cheese sits around a long time. It develops all kinds of deep flavors. A little sour, a little stinky, and a lot delicious. Just like qurut. So who does not know about qurut?

Qurut is the whey from yogurt. Imagine taking sour yogurt and extracting all of the liquid from it. This would give you the whey. Then, Afghans completely dehydrate it. This becomes qurut. They are like little hard balls of deliciousness.

Balls of Qurut
This is a picture of dried qurut (or kashk)

You may be worried that you can’t find them. I got you. You can buy qurut easily in our shop by clicking here.

Finally, the Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

As always, we have a convenient printable recipe below. Anytime you need help, I always suggest watching the video once or twice before starting to make any recipe.

Are you a fan of Afghan Cooks and want to help spread the word? Well, social media is critical. Finally, don’t forget us on social media. We are on Tik-TokInstagram, and Youtube.

We also have a wonderful non-spammy Afghan Cooks Club. Sign up for that too!

Want Secret Recipes? News Updates?

Subscribe to our Afghan Cooks Club now. (free secret recipe for signing up)

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

A Delicious Afghan Spaghetti Sauce Recipe That Will Bowl You Over


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Mirriam Seddiq

Description

This is another one of my personal creations, an Afghan spaghetti sauce recipe using traditional Afghan flavors and ingredients.


Ingredients

Scale

1 Box of Spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)

2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin

2 Teaspoons of Ground Coriander

2 Teaspoons of Dehydrated Garlic or Garlic Powder

Qurut (shaved)

2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil for Cooking

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Salt

2 Cups of Water

Cracked Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Tomato Paste

2 Teaspoons Vinegar


Instructions

1. Add oil to your pan, then add your cumin and coriander. Cook for a minute to allow the spices to get toasted. Don’t Burn.

2. Then, add your tomato paste. Stir in your pan until the tomato paste gets a deeper red color. It’ll be almost brown with the spices. 4-5 minutes.

3. Then, add your your garlic powder, salt, and cracked black pepper. Then stir.

4. While this is cooking, cook your favorite pasta per instructions in boiling water. Then, go back to sauce.

5. Now we are going to dilute the tomato paste to make the sauce. Add your water. After adding the water you need to let the sauce reduce and thicken. Reduce the sauce to the consistency of a pasta sauce you would use for Italian red sauce. Let simmer.

6. Then, add your white vinegar. You need this for brightness. Let simmer for about 3 minutes.

7, Finally, add your pasta to the sauce. Stir together.

8. Twirl on your plate, shave the qurut over it as a parmasean replacement. Add diced chives.

@afghancooks

Crispy onions, whipped feta, and a secret. Thats how you make my original Afghan crispy onion feta dip. Please click + to follow. #foodlover #afghan #recipesoftiktok #afghangirl

♬ Roxanne – Instrumental – Califa Azul

Notes

This dish would be great with a fresh Afghan salata.

Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

Mirriam Seddiq

I am Mirriam Z. Seddiq, the Afghan Cook. I was born in Afghanistan and came to America as a when I was 18 months old. I am a criminal defense, personal injury, and immigration attorney. I started the first Muslim American Woman Political Action Committee, once owned a coffee shop and a restaurant, and currently am the CEO of the Komak Foundation which focuses its efforts on helping Afghan refugees.

Related Posts

Halal Chicken and Rice Recipe

Basics of Halal Chicken and Rice Recipe. If you are lucky as I was to eat halal chicken and rice from a halal cart in the 90s, you still long for those delicious flavors. Moist chicken thighs, intensely flavored rice, and a little fresh chopped salad. Finish it with a...

Kishmish Paneer – Two Ingredient Cheese

Afghans love our Kishmish paneer. It is a simple 3-ingredient cheese, usually served with delicious Afghan raisins. Let's make it. What is Kishmish? Afghan Kishmish refers to the high-quality raisins produced in Afghanistan. Known for their distinctive taste, these...

Mulberry Kulfi Recipe (No Churn)

This mulberry kulfi recipe requires no ice cream maker and has all the lovely flavors from my home country, Afghanistan. I hope you enjoy it. Let's make it! What are Mulberries? Mulberries are small, sweet fruits from deciduous trees in the Morus genus. Typically...

Comments

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Buy Afghan Cooks Merchandise Todayread more
+ +