StilettoChef

Lamb Ragu + Pappardelle

It’s definitely not about sick-processed fast foods anymore…Get with it friends! One pot-SLOW-cooked suppers are their way back to the table. And why not invite your friends and fam over for the weekend to join in on the one-pot fun? Forget that 5 minute meal, and get invested, cultured and imbued back into slow foods. Start channeling Mom again and stop with easy-quick-fix! xx ck

Serves 4

Ragu ingredients:
1 large red onion, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 lb of lean ground lamb or 95% lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup red wine, merlot or cabernet, or ya know, whatevs leftover!
28 oz. can organic tomato sauce, NOT the sweet processed junk in the jar! The pure canned good stuff!
1/3 cup of water
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Pasta:
8 oz papperdelle pasta noodles

For the ragu:
Place the onions, celery and carrots in a large pot with the olive oil and set over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, and then add the spices after the vegetables have started to sweat, about 3 minutes. Cook vegetables until the water has evaporated and flavor has caramelized the vegetables slightly, approx 10 minutes.

Add the lean ground meat, stirring constantly, until the meat has been entirely broken down into bits. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes. Season with sea salt.

Degrease the pan (if the meat is very lean, there will not be much rendered fat) by adding the wine and letting it reduce until evaporated (best to reduce it until its basically gone–will make the flavor more intense and concentrated)

Add the tomatoes and simmer slowly until the liquid has almost evaporated (the mixture should almost stick to the bottom of the pan). Approximately 20-25 minutes.

Add half of the water and cook for 10 minutes, as water evaporates and concentrates flavor. Add in the remaining water. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover for approximately 3 hours, low and slow. Make sure to check the sauce, stir approximately every hour and season to taste.

For more fabulous pasta recipes that won’t wreck your waist this holiday season? Go to www.PastaFits.org! Dee-lish!