Libya | Main dish

Mbakbaka

Libyan one-pot pasta cooked directly in a spicy tomato sauce with lamb or chicken, chickpeas, and warm spices.

Country
Libya
Region
North Africa
Time
75 min
Serves
6
Level
easy
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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Libya
4 steps 20 min prep 55 min cook (check method) 75 min total easy
1
Brown the meat
Cook meat, onion, and garlic in oil until fragrant and lightly browned.
brown 12:00
2
Build the sauce
Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chickpeas, spices, salt, and hot water, then simmer until the meat is nearly tender.
sauce 30:00
3
Cook pasta in the pot
Add pasta and simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and saucy.
pasta 13:00
4
Rest before serving
Cover off heat for a few minutes so the sauce clings to the pasta.
rest 05:00

Some cooks use lamb, others chicken or no meat. Pasta shape, chickpeas, potatoes, and chili strength change by household.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for weeknight family meals, quick guest food, and camping pots.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 75 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Simple salad, olives, pickles, or extra chili.

Regional lane

Libya national table. A structured Libya dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
  • Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
  • The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Mbakbaka recipe from Libya
Mbakbaka finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Mbakbaka

Simple salad, olives, pickles, or extra chili.

Best route from here

Libya national table

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