Adapted from “Urban Italian,” by Andrew Carmellini. Serves 6.
Ingredients
FOR THE RAGU
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (shoulder if possible)
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 cup good-quality Italian canned whole tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
TO FINISH THE DISH
1 pound pasta of your choice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped mint
Ricotta cheese for garnish
Directions
To prepare the ragu: Heat the olive oil in a large stewpot over medium-high heat. (You need a pot with a very large bottom in order to brown all the meat all at once. If you haven’t got one, brown the meat in a large saucepan first and then add it to the stewpot.)
Add the ground lamb, breaking it apart into small bits as you drop it into the oil, and brown it over high heat, about 5 minutes. If the lamb releases a lot of liquid, so that the meat begins to steam instead of browning, just drain off the juice and put the pot back on the heat to start the browning process again.
Add the carrot, onion, and celery and mix well. Cook together over high heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Cook together until the mixture becomes a thick, reddish mix, about 1 minute.
Add the red wine and stir to incorporate, making sure that no bits of meat or vegetable are sticking to the bottom. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape down the sides; you don’t want bits of sauce to burn and flavor the whole ragu. Cook until the wine evaporates completely, about 2 minutes.
Add the canned tomatoes and the broth (or water). Then add the bay leaves, cumin, coriander, fennel, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Scrape down the sides of the pot again.
Bring the mixture to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low to keep the ragu cooking at a simmer. Cook the lamb, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates and the flavors meld, about 1 1/2 hours. Continue scraping the sides of the pot at regular intervals to avoid burnt bits. The meat will turn dark brown and the liquid will turn a dark orange color as it cooks. When it’s done, all the flavors will be melded and the sauce (if you’ve broken the meat up enough) will look like a sauce: dark brown, rich, thick and textured.
To finish the dish: Cook the pasta. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and stir together over the heat, adding the olive oil and butter to make it smooth and rich-tasting on the tongue. Add the mint. Ladle the pasta and sauce into individual bowls and top with scoop of ricotta.
