Pasta Tahdig

Pasta Tahdig is a pleasant Iranian method of turning a simple pasta into a five-star meal. In general, Iranians make Tahdig in whatever food they can, but in the case of pasta, it’s absolutely a must! It is so popular and famous in Iran that it’s become a trademark of Iranian cuisine.

What is Pasta Tahdig?

Iranians put potato or Naan slices (bread) at the bottom of the pot and get delicious crispy pieces in the end that taste and sound absolutely divine when chewed.

Pasta Tahdig is usually quite oily, and not only does it tastes great, but also looks so good since the tomato paste of the pasta sauce gets absorbed by it. But do not worry, you can still get a Tahdig without using too much oil.

Everyone will love this pasta Tahdig, so make sure to try it! In this post, I will explain the steps involved in making Persian Macaroni with potato Tahdig, and as a bonus, bread (Naan) Tahdig as well!

How do Iranians make Macaroni Ba Tahdig?

Before we get started, it is important to note that in Iran, the term “Macaroni” and “Pasta” are interchangeable. Iranians have a different method of making spaghetti than other countries.

In most countries, one would cook the pasta in boiling water and serve it with the sauce. But in Iran, after medium boiling, the pasta is steamed with the sauce in another pot. This step helps integrate more of the pasta sauce into the pasta and also creates the gorgeous golden Tahdig at the bottom.

Ingredients:

You need the ingredients you see in this image:

Pasta Tahdig recipe:

To make a delicious Persian pasta Tahdig, prepare the mentioned ingredients and follow these steps:

Step 1- Preparation:

1- Peel the potatoes and let them dry. These will be sliced and put at the bottom of the pot to create the delicious and crispy Tahdig.

2. The potatoes should be completely dry. If they’re still a bit moist, they might stick to the pot. Use a paper towel to dry them. Cut the potatoes into rounds with a thickness of less than half a centimeter.

3- Bring water to boil. Add the soy grains and let them soak for 30-60 minutes. 

Remove them and squeeze them to dry. Pour them in a colander and let any excess water run. Be careful not to burn your hands!

4- Wash the tomatoes. Cut the calyx. Chop up the tomatoes and pour them in a blender.

5- Fine-dice the mushrooms. The smaller the pieces are, the better they can cover all parts of the pasta.

6- Dice the bell peppers.

Step 2 - Prepare the pasta sauce:

1- Start with dicing the onions. Sauté them until translucent and add the bell peppers.

2- Add bell peppers.

3- Grate or crush the garlic before adding.

4- Add the soaked soy and let them change color and fry.

5- At this point, add the spices and sauté. 

6- Add the mushrooms at the end and sauté for 3 minutes.

7- Add the tomato purée (optional). Let the sauce thicken and cook until you can no longer feel the raw tomato smell. This might take up to 20-30 minutes.

8- Add salt after the sauce thickens. Add vegetables. Taste it and add any other spices if you consider necessary.

Step 3 - Boiling the pasta:

1- Pour water in a pot and bring to boil.

2- Break the pasta into two and pour them inside the water. Stir with a fork quickly to break them apart and avoid making clumps. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric for a more vibrant pasta color. There is no need to add oil. If the pot is big enough and the pasta are not stacked on top of each other, they will not clump.

3- Cook for 5-8 minutes (follow the instructions on the box).

4- Pour the cooked pasta in a colander and pour cold water on them. If some pastas are clumped together, try and break them apart as best as you can.

Step 4 – Preparing the Persian Pasta Tahdig (Potato Tahdig):

Now we get to the exciting part!

2. After one side gets golden and crispy, flip them. They don’t need to brown.

3. Add the cooked pasta in 3 layers, and between each layer, add the sauce. Add the cooked pasta in 3 layers, and between each layer, add the sauce. Stir in each layer so the sauce and pasta get fully mixed.

4. Close the lid. The heat should be on high for the first 5 minutes for the pasta and sauce to steam, then lower the heat and let them cook for 40-60 minutes. Your pasta will be ready after that!

Now the potatoes at the bottom of the pot are crispy and crunchy, and you have the perfect pasta Tahdig.

Tips:

• You can use all varieties of pasta, like spaghetti, penne or fettucine.
• Abundant onion makes the pasta taste better, coupled with the taste of tomatoes and finely diced mushrooms. I don’t add much soy. This is a unique recipe and completely vegan.
• I used fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste in this recipe. For this, I mixed the tomatoes in a blender instead of going through the trouble of grating them. Grated tomato improves the taste but if you do not have the time, you can always go with tomato paste.
• You can use a mixture of ground beef and soy too. This fully depends on your personal taste. 100 grams of ground beef will make your Persian pasta taste fantastic.
• I also mentioned in the post about the Bread tahdig, after the tahdig is ready, remove the lid of the pot. If you leave the lid of the pot closed, the steam will soften the tahdig.

Most important tip for having a crispy Tahdig:

Temperature is very important. Always tune the temperature and cooking time so the Tahdig becomes crispy. If the temperature is too low, the Tahdig becomes soggy and if it’s too high, it burns. So don’t lower the temperature too much.

How is Tahdig served?

After turning off the heat, you need to immediately scrape the Tahdig off the pot and transfer it to a plate. If you’re using a Teflon or granite pot and have oiled the bottom up properly, you can flip the pot onto a plate and get a gorgeous molded Tahdig!

The important point here is that after you turn the heat off, you need to remove the lid of the pot and also remove the Tahdig from the bottom. If the lid stays on, the steam cannot exit the pot and will soften the Potato Tahdig and defeat the whole purpose of having a crunchy Tahdig.

Different types of Pasta Tahdig

You can use different ingredients for your Pasta Tahdig:

1- Potato Tahdig as I explained.

2- Naan Tahdig (instead of potatoes, cut up some naan and place at the bottom of the pot).

3- Pasta Tahdig (you don’t need to place anything at the bottom of the pot. The bottom layer of the pasta and sauce will turn into a crunchy Tahdig. But you need to generously oil up the pot.)

See the Tahdig with Iranian rice in this post: Persian rice with potato crust.

Is it necessary to use herbs in Macaroni?

Herbs will give a unique and beautiful color to your dish and improve its taste. You can use either fresh or dried herbs. I used frozen Aash herbs, something found in every Iranian’s freezer.

You can use your greens of choice in pasta. Spinach is a great choice, and the combination of it with pasta will pleasantly surprise you both in its unique taste and color!

Parsley is another herb you could use. Chop it up and cook it with the sauce. It will add an amazing taste and aroma to your sauce.

Which side dishes go well with Macaroni and Tahdig?

Tahdig itself counts as a side dish with the pasta. But Iranians usually serve it with herbs, Shirazi salad, yogurt or Torshi.

Conclusion

Tahdig and Macaroni are inseparable and insanely popular parts of Iranian cuisine. Iranians usually make Pasta with Potato and Naan Tahdig. However, you can use neither and have a pure Pasta Tahdig. Making the Tahdig is very easy, you simply need to line the bottom of our pot with either potato, naan or nothing, add the boiled pasta and the sauce to a pot, and let it steam.

If you have never tried this, make sure you do so as soon as possible. Just make a simple pasta and make the Tahdig according to the recipe I wrote, everyone will fall in love with it!

Let me know the results if you make this recipe. Did it turn crispy and gold or not?