One doesn’t usually associate pasta with Middle Eastern cuisine, but noodles and dumplings, in particular, are popular in several countries around the region. Stuffed pasta dumplings, called manti, are a key feature of Turkish cooking, and it’s thought that they date back to the eighth century, when they were introduced to Anatolia from Northern China by the Uyghurs. The very best manti are teeny-tiny, and require a great deal of patience and skill to make. (See our earlier book, Turquoise, if you are interested in learning how to make them.) In this larger form they are much more forgiving, and just as delicious. Manti are usually stuffed with minced lamb and served under a blanket of creamy yoghurt. Our vegetarian version are stuffed with herb-spiked fresh goat’s cheese and dressed in a light and tangy pomegranate vinaigrette.