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Libyan

Imbakbaka

Non-vegetarian

مبكبكة · Mbakbaka

Pasta cooked directly in a spicy, tomato-rich lamb broth until it soaks up the sauce. Libyan one-pot comfort food, named for the sound of it bubbling.

Imbakbaka is a Libyan pasta dish, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with lamb shoulder, tomato paste and dried pasta. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Plate of imbakbaka spiral pasta cooked in spicy tomato sauce with meat
Photo: Samir / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
768

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the lamb in the oil with the onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw meat.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and spices and fry for 2 minutes, then add the water and salt. Cover and simmer until the lamb is tender.

    • 35 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the pasta (opens in a new tab), chickpeas (opens in a new tab) and whole chillies and simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the sauce. Add a little hot water if it gets too thick.

    • 15 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Rest 2 minutes off the heat, until the sauce settles and clings to the pasta (opens in a new tab), then serve.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Libya · Commonly attributedMore food from Libya
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pasta · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), savoury, rich
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Tomato paste · Dried pasta · Onion · Garlic · Paprika
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Eggsfrom dried pasta
  • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
  • Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

768 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 561 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 43%
  • Fat 41%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy768 kcal137 kcal
Protein30.7 g5.5 g
Carbohydrate83 g14.8 g
Net carbohydrate77.8 g13.9 g
Sugars6 g1.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.2 g0.9 g
Fat34.9 g6.2 g
Saturated fat11.6 g2.1 g
Trans fat1.2 g0.2 g
Cholesterol60 mg11 mg
Sodium962 mg171 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
746 mg
Calcium
86 mg
Iron
5.5 mg
Magnesium
90 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
64 µg
Vitamin C
7 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: chickpeas, green chilli.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The finished dish should be saucy, not dry: the pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it stands.

Common mistakes

  • Adding too little water — the pasta absorbs a lot; keep hot water on hand.

Serve with

  • Serve with a simple salad and lemon wedges.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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