TÜRKPATENT’s regional record describes an egg-rich dough rested for about an hour, rolled thin and cut into small squares before pinching. The name cimcik refers to that shaping action. This fresh home version follows the dough proportions and plain butter–yogurt finish, using refrigerated rests and keeping spare dough chilled while the pieces are formed.
Kütahya Cimcik Aşı — Recipe Card
Tiny hand-pinched egg pasta with garlic yogurt and butter
Makes 4 servings · Serves 4, using about 600 g (21 oz) of fresh pasta before cooking and 500 g of yogurt for the topping.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Kütahya Cimcik Aşı
Make a firm dough
Mix the dough flour with 2 g of the divided salt, reserving the remaining 1 g for the yogurt. Add the beaten eggs and dough water gradually, mixing into a firm dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until cohesive and smooth; it should be firmer than bread dough. Do not taste raw egg-and-flour dough.
Rest in the refrigerator
Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below for 60 minutes. This rest lets the flour hydrate while keeping the egg dough chilled.
Roll and cut small squares
Divide into 6 portions of about 100 g. Work on one portion at a time, keeping the others covered in the refrigerator. Use the measured extra flour sparingly on the surface and rolling pin. Roll to 1–1.5 mm thick, about 1/16 inch, then cut strips and cross-cut into squares about 1.5 cm (⅝ inch) across. Cover pieces not being shaped so they do not crust over.
Pinch the pieces
Bring two diagonally opposite corners of each square together and pinch firmly, leaving the other edges open to make a tiny crossed, bow-like shape. There is no filling. Place in a single layer on lightly floured trays. Refrigerate each completed portion while working on the next. After the last pieces are shaped, chill them for at least 10 minutes while preparing to cook.
Prepare the garlic yogurt
Whisk the yogurt with the crushed garlic and the reserved 1 g salt until spoonable. Keep covered in the refrigerator until serving.
Boil until the centers are cooked
Bring the cooking water and its separate 15 g salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the cimcik gradually, stirring gently to separate them, and return to a gentle boil. Cook for about 12–15 minutes, until the pinched centers are tender throughout with no stiff, floury core; floating alone is not a doneness test. Drain, rinse briefly under cool drinking water for 5–10 seconds, then drain very well without soaking.
Coat with warm butter
Melt the butter over medium-low heat for about 2–3 minutes, until it foams, without letting it burn. Transfer the drained pasta to a serving dish or bowls and gently coat with all the warm butter.
Finish and serve
Divide into 4 portions if not already portioned and spoon the garlic yogurt over the pasta. Serve at once, leaving some small pasta shapes visible around the yogurt.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-pinched-pasta-kutahya-cimcik-asi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Heat level
No added chili: the base uses plain butter and garlic yogurt. For a hotter variation, stir 1 g (½ teaspoon) of hot pul biber into the melted butter off the heat before dressing the pasta. The heat depends on the flakes used.
Dietary notes
Contains wheat (gluten), eggs and milk. The base is vegetarian. This dough has not been specified for gluten-free flour; a one-for-one substitution would change how the small pieces roll and hold their shape.
Shaping time
The active preparation estimate includes hand-pinching a large number of small pieces. Allow extra time on a first attempt. Keep unworked dough and completed trays chilled as directed, rather than leaving the entire batch on the counter throughout shaping.
Thickness matters
The pinched centers cook more slowly than the thin edges. Roll evenly, keep the pieces small and check a center before draining. Excess dusting flour can stop the corners sticking together.
How to store and reheat Kütahya Cimcik Aşı
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C (90°F). Keep pasta and yogurt separate when possible, at 4°C (40°F) or below, and use within 3 days. Reheat the pasta throughout to 74°C (165°F), then add the refrigerated yogurt. If already combined, reheat the whole dish to 74°C (165°F); the yogurt may separate.
Kütahya Cimcik Aşı: questions and answers
Does cimcik have a filling?
This version is unfilled. Its small squares are pinched into open shapes, then boiled and dressed with butter and garlic yogurt.
Why are the corners coming apart?
The contact points may be too floury or the dough may have dried on the surface. Brush off excess dusting flour, keep the unworked pieces covered, and press the two corners together firmly.
Can I prepare the shapes ahead?
Keep the fresh shaped pasta covered in a single layer in the refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) or below and cook it the same day. These directions do not include a home drying process for pantry storage.
