Erişte, also known as Kesme, are Turkish Egg Noodles, made from flour, eggs, and milk. They take an afternoon plus a couple of days of drying, but very little of it is hands-on.
Once dried, they keep in the pantry for months. Tossed in butter with feta and walnuts, they’re so much better than anything from a packet.
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These hand-cut noodles have been a staple in Turkish kitchens for generations. My mom still prepares them every late summer, and I’m thrilled to share her recipe with you.
What Is Erişte?
Erişte, or kesme, are small noodles made from a rolled sheet of egg dough. Every region cuts them a little differently: long thin strips, short matchsticks, or tiny squares for soup. My family makes the matchstick kind, and that is the recipe below.
For many families, making these noodles is more than just preparing food; it’s a group effort. Friends and neighbors often come together to knead, roll, and cut the dough in big batches.
Once the noodles are dried, they’re stored and used throughout the year, especially during colder months.
Why This Recipe Works
- The dough needs nothing more than pantry staples. All you need is a rolling pin, no pasta machine.
- Milk and eggs make a richer dough than water alone, so the noodles taste good with just butter and feta.
- Stacking the rolled sheets in layers means all the noodles get cut in one go, so a big batch doesn't take all day.
- The dried noodles cook straight from the jar, with no thawing and no soaking.
- This is the traditional late-summer method my mom still uses, with step-by-step photos for every stage.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients for Eriste Dough
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour is perfect, though some prefer mixing in semolina for a different texture.
- Eggs - They’re what give the noodles their structure and richness. I prefer using free-range eggs with deep yellow yolks.
- Milk - Whole or semi-skimmed (2%) milk mixed with water helps bring the dough together.
- Semolina - It prevents the dough from sticking together when you cut it. I mix it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour and use it generously when cutting the pasta.
Ingredients for Cooking Eriste
- Butter - I use good quality salted or unsalted butter to add extra richness to the noodles.
- Cheese - I use crumbled feta cheese but you can use your favorite cheese you would normally add to your pasta dishes.
- Walnuts - They add nuttiness and extra crunch to the finished dish!
How to Make Erişte - Turkish Egg Noodles (Kesme)?
Prepare the Dough
Combine your flour, eggs, salt, milk, and water in a large mixing bowl.
Work the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, which might take about 10-12 minutes of kneading.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
Roll the dough into thin sheets on a generously floured surface. Aim for a thickness of about 1-2 mm (1/16 inch), very thin but sturdy.
Transfer the rolled out pastries onto clean sheets and let them dry for a couple of hours before cutting into thin strips.
Cut the Dough into Strips
Mix together 2 cups of semolina with 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Sprinkle your worktop with a generous amount of semolina mixture and layer a piece of rolled out sheet.
Sprinkle on some more semolina mixture and layer another sheet on top. You will have 2 rolled out pastry sheets on top of each other and a generous amount of flour in between.
Cut the pastries in halves, which will give you 4 layers of pastries. Make sure the layers are generously sprinkled with flour between them before proceeding to cut them into strips. First, cut the dough into 1.5" (3-4 cm) wide strips.
And then stack a few strips together and cut them into matchstick size strips. Separate the ones that are stuck together and lay them out on clean cloths or trays.
Let them dry completely in a cool, airy space before transferring to an airtight container. This might take 2 to 3 days, depending on the weather.
How to Cook Eriste Noodles?
Boil eriste in lightly salted water for 20-25 minutes until they are softened, then drain.
In a large pan, melt the butter, season with salt, pepper, and chili, and toss in the cooked noodles.
Sprinkle the cheese and crushed walnuts on top and serve warm.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Make sure to knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, which might take 10-12 minutes!
- Separate the noodles right after cutting them if there are any stuck ones. It will be impossible to separate them when they are dry.
- Let them dry completely in a cool, airy space before storing them in a glass jar or airtight container.
- Thicker noodles take longer to cook but have a chewier bite; thinner noodles cook quickly and soak up sauces more easily.
- Some people like to toast the noodles in a bit of butter before boiling. This gives the noodles a nutty flavor and golden color.
- Use good quality butter for tossing the noodles. Margarine or oil won't give you the same rich flavor.
- When cooking and seasoning the noodles, add salt with caution as the dough already contains some salt!
Serving Ideas for Erişte
Here are the most popular ways to serve these noodles:
Butter and cheese - The most traditional way is to toss the cooked noodles with melted butter and sprinkle over a generous amount of feta or Turkish white cheese. This is the version in the recipe card, with crushed walnuts on top.
With yogurt sauce - Just like Turkish Manti Recipe and Kıymalı Makarna - Turkish Pasta with Ground Beef, top the noodles with a garlicky yogurt sauce and drizzle some spiced melted butter on top. Add a sprinkle of dried mint or chili flakes to finish the dish.
In soup - Cook the noodles in chicken or vegetable broth for a comforting, hearty soup such as Mediterranean Lentil Soup. Add shredded chicken or chickpeas to make it more filling.
Mixed with vegetables - Sautéed veggies like peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms go well with the noodles. A handful of chopped parsley or dill gives it a fresh finish. You can serve the buttered noodles as a side to meat dishes such as Easy Air Fryer Lamb Rib Chops.
Recipe FAQs
Erişte has a firmer texture and is traditionally made with eggs, giving it a richer flavor than most store-bought pastas.
If stored in an airtight container, it can last up to six months in a cool, dry place.
Erişte is simply the Turkish word for egg noodles. It comes from the Persian reshteh, which means thread. The same noodles are called kesme in parts of Anatolia, from the verb kesmek, which means to cut.
Yes. Freshly cut erişte can go straight into boiling water and cooks in just a few minutes. Dry the noodles fully only if you want to store them for later.
Related Recipes
For more traditional Turkish recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Turkish Egg Noodles - Erişte Pasta recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Erişte Recipe - Turkish Egg Noodles (Kesme)
Ingredients
Eriste Dough
- 5 medium eggs
- 5 lbs plain white flour / all purpose flour (2.2 kilo)
- 2 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoon salt
Rolling out the Dough
- 2 cups plain white flour / all purpose flour
- 2 cups semolina
For Cooking Eriste Pasta
- 1 lbs eriste (450 grams)
- water for boiling pasta
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup feta (crumbled)
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Combine your flour, eggs, salt, milk, and water in a large mixing bowl.
- Work the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, which might take about 10-12 minutes of kneading.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Roll the dough into thin sheets on a generously floured surface. Aim for a thickness of about 1-2 mm (1/16 inch), very thin but sturdy.
- Transfer the rolled out pastries onto clean sheets and let them dry for a couple of hours before cutting into thin strips.
Cut the Dough into Strips
- Mix together 2 cups of semolina with 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
- Sprinkle your worktop with a generous amount of semolina mixture and layer a piece of rolled out sheet. Sprinkle on some more semolina mixture and layer another sheet on top. You will have 2 rolled out pastry sheets on top of each other and a generous amount of flour in between.
- Cut the pastries in halves, which will give you 4 layers of pastries. Make sure the layers are generously sprinkled with flour between them before proceeding to cut them into strips.
- First, cut the dough into 1.5" (3-4 cm) wide strips. And then stack a few strips together and cut them into matchstick size strips.
- Separate the ones that are stuck together and lay them out on clean cloths or trays.
- Let them dry completely in a cool, airy space before transferring to an airtight container. This might take 2 to 3 days, depending on the weather.
Cook Eriste Noodles
- Boil eriste in lightly salted water for 20-25 minutes until they are softened, then drain.
- In a large pan, melt the butter, season with salt, pepper, and chili, and toss in the cooked noodles.
- Sprinkle the cheese and crushed walnuts on top and serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure to knead the dough for eriste until it’s smooth and elastic, which might take 10-12 minutes!
- Separate the noodles right after cutting them if there are any stuck ones. It will be impossible to separate them when they are dry.
- Let them dry completely in a cool, airy space before storing them in a glass jar or airtight container.
- Thicker noodles take longer to cook but have a chewier bite; thinner noodles cook quickly and soak up sauces more easily.
- Some people like to toast erişte in a bit of butter before boiling. This gives the noodles a nutty flavor and golden color.
- Use good quality butter for tossing the noodles. Margarine or oil won’t give you the same rich flavor.
- When cooking and seasoning eriste, add salt with caution as the dough already contains some salt!
Fatima says
I bought some ready made eriste and tried your recipe. It was so good. I will try to make my own when I feel more confident.