Goan Keema Pasta
By Nik SharmaPublished on March 12, 2026
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Kashmiri chile powder provides gentle heat and a brick-red color; add the larger amount for more heat. If you can’t find it, you can substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne plus 1 teaspoon paprika. Cheese isn’t traditional with keema, but a sprinkle of crumbled feta adds a pleasant salty contrast. Chives can be substituted for cilantro, if desired. To see more of our favorite weeknight pastas, check out this collection.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 pound mezzi rigatoni and 1 tablespoon table salt to water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water and drain pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground beef and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle in its own fat, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking into small pieces with spoon. Add 1½ finely chopped onions, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 4 minced garlic cloves, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1½ tablespoons garam masala, and 1–1½ teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 cup frozen peas and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon malt vinegar and season with salt to taste. Stir in pasta and ¼ cup chopped cilantro until thoroughly combined, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve, sprinkling with 1 cup crumbled feta cheese.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Goan-style keema is built on layers of bold flavor: rich meat, a fragrant mix of warm spices, heady ginger and garlic, and the subtle tanginess of malt vinegar. Those same qualities make it an unexpectedly natural partner for pasta. To build depth, we bloom the spices and aromatics in the rendered fat and then build the base of the sauce with tomato paste and chicken broth. After simmering for 5 minutes, we stir in peas before finishing with butter and malt vinegar. Traditionally, keema is made with beef or mutton, but lamb works just as well.
Before You Begin
Kashmiri chile powder provides gentle heat and a brick-red color; add the larger amount for more heat. If you can’t find it, you can substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne plus 1 teaspoon paprika. Cheese isn’t traditional with keema, but a sprinkle of crumbled feta adds a pleasant salty contrast. Chives can be substituted for cilantro, if desired. To see more of our favorite weeknight pastas, check out this collection.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 pound mezzi rigatoni and 1 tablespoon table salt to water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water and drain pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground beef and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle in its own fat, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking into small pieces with spoon. Add 1½ finely chopped onions, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 4 minced garlic cloves, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1½ tablespoons garam masala, and 1–1½ teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 cup frozen peas and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon malt vinegar and season with salt to taste. Stir in pasta and ¼ cup chopped cilantro until thoroughly combined, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve, sprinkling with 1 cup crumbled feta cheese.
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