Mbakbaka (Libyan Lamb Pasta)

Name: Mbakbaka (Libyan Lamb Pasta)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Libyan

roubashahin.com.au

This is that Mbakbaka my aunty made after moving back from Libya — one pot, spiced tomato broth, and pasta that soaks it all up.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

1 hour 20 minutes

SERVES

About this recipe

Mbakbaka is a Libyan lamb pasta that cooks entirely in one pot — the pasta simmers directly in a rich, spiced tomato broth until it drinks up every bit of flavour. There’s no draining, no separate pot of water. That’s the beauty of it. The lamb turns tender, the broth thickens around the pasta, and what you end up with is somewhere between a pasta and a stew — warm, saucy and deeply comforting.

I first fell in love with this dish when my aunty, who had been living in Libya, returned to Lebanon and made it for us. We didn’t want anything else — just this. Twenty years later, before heading back for a holiday, I told Mum to call her and make sure she’d have that Mbakbaka ready for me. Some dishes just stay with you like that.

If you love pasta but want to try something different, this one’s for you. You might also like my 15- minute Fresh Tuna and Tomato Pasta, my clever Eggplant Pasta using leftovers, or the kid- favourite Macaroni in Garlic Yogurt Sauce—an Arab twist with only three ingredients.

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
500 grams lamb pieces, boneless, cut just larger than bite size
1 onion, roughly diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Bharat spice
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon paprika
½ cup tomato paste
2.5 litres of water + more as required
500 gram can crushed tomatoes puréed
Salt, to taste
3 carrots, peeled cut into bite size pieces
2 medium green capsicums, cut into bite size pieces
500 grams small macaroni (or penne)
Chopped parsley, to finish

Notes from Rouba

Don’t rush the browning — it builds the base of the whole dish
The spices go in early so they cook into the meat, not just the broth
The pasta cooks in the pot, the traditional way — it soaks up the spiced broth as it goes, so keep extra water on hand and add a little if it gets too thick
Adjust the chilli to your liking, but a little heat brings everything together
Cut the lamb just larger than bite size — it shrinks a little as it cooks

Method

Step 1. Brown the Lamb

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the lamb pieces and brown them well on all sides. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and toss everything together until the onion starts to soften. Add the Bharat spice, ginger powder, chilli powder, curry powder and paprika, and toss again so the lamb is well coated and the spices become fragrant.

Step 2. Build the Broth and Simmer

Stir in the tomato paste and the pureed tomatoes, then pour in the water and season with salt. Cook with the lid partially on but not fully covered over medium to low heat for about 1 hour, until the lamb is around 90% cooked and tender.

Step 3. Add the Vegetables

Add the carrots and capsicum to the pot and cook, for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 4. Cook the Pasta in the Broth

Add the pasta straight into the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cover. At this point, check your liquid — the pasta will drink up a lot of the broth as it cooks, so add extra water if necessary. Cook until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally so nothing catches on the bottom, and add a little more water if the broth thickens too much before the pasta is done. Turn off the heat and finish with chopped parsley. This dish is meant to be enjoyed while it's warm — the pasta should be wet and saucy, never dry.

A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

What is Mbakbaka?
Mbakbaka is a beloved Libyan one-pot pasta dish where the pasta cooks directly in a spiced tomato and meat broth. The name is said to come from the bubbling sound the pot makes as it simmers away. It's everyday comfort food in Libyan homes — rich, saucy and full of warmth.

My lamb is tender but I still have a lot of liquid — do I add the pasta?
Not yet. The pasta only needs about 10 to 12 minutes to cook, so it won't soak up a big excess of liquid in that time. If your lamb is ready but there's still a lot of your tomato base in the pot, take the lid off and let it reduce, uncovered, to about half before the pasta goes in. It's much easier to add water later than to deal with too much of it.

Can I cook the pasta separately instead?
You could, but then it wouldn't be Mbakbaka. Cooking the pasta in the broth is the whole point — the pasta releases its starch into the pot and soaks up all that spiced flavour at the same time. Trust the method here.

Can I use beef instead of lamb?
Yes, you can — just keep in mind that lamb tends to be more naturally tender. If using beef, go for a cut that can handle long simmering, and give it a little extra time before adding the vegetables.

What pasta shape should I use?
Traditionally, Mbakbaka is made with short pasta like small macaroni or penne. Any small shape will work, but stick to something short and sturdy — it needs to hold up to simmering in the broth. That said, in my family it was always made with the larger coloured vegetable pasta — that's how my aunty made it, and it's the version I grew up loving. It's not traditional, but it adds so much colour and fun to the pot, so if you spot it, give it a go, it’s not that accessible.

How spicy is this?
There's a gentle warmth from the chilli and curry powder, but it's not a fiery dish. If you're cooking for kids, halve the chilli powder — and if you love heat, feel free to add a little more.

Can I change the vegetables?
You can — and here's something I only found out as an adult: traditional Mbakbaka doesn't actually have carrots in it. I grew up eating it with potato, carrot and capsicum, the way my aunty made it. For this recipe I've landed somewhere between the traditional dish and my family's version — I've taken out the potato, since the pasta more than fills that role, and kept the carrots and capsicum. If you want to go fully traditional, some people do use capsicum, but for the most part it's green chilli peppers that go in. Whatever you choose, pick vegetables that cook in a similar timeframe — they go in just 5 minutes before the pasta, so everything finishes together without turning soft and mushy.

How much water do I actually need?
I've tried to give you an exact amount, but this one is a little tricky — you do need to gauge it by eye, and it honestly isn't hard. Start with the 2.5 litres, you don't want to begin with too much, because you don't want excess water left at the end. Instead, add a little at a time as the pasta cooks and drinks up the broth. Let your eyes guide you: the pasta should look wet and saucy, bubbling away in the pot — that bubbling is actually the sound Mbakbaka is named after. Just remember, it's not a soup.