Pappardelle With Lamb Ragu

Wide pappardelle noodles coated in a rich, aromatic lamb ragu with fresh thyme, mint, and vegetables, finished with Pecorino Romano for a hearty and comforting Italian meal.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

6 servings

Ingredients

Pasta

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

¼ cup semolina flour, plus additional for dusting

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus additional for pasta water

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 to 4 tablespoons water, divided

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Ragu

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon salted butter

¾ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped shallot

½ cup chopped carrot

1 pound 80% lean ground lamb

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ cup white wine vinegar

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus additional for garnish

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Directions

For pasta, on a clean work surface, stir together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup semolina flour and ½ teaspoon salt with a fork. Form mixture into a mound; make a well in center of mound. Add eggs and 2 tablespoons of water to well.
Using fork, slowly mix some of the flour into the egg mixture, pulling from the inner edge of the well. Continue gradually mixing in the flour into the well until a shaggy dough forms. Add enough of the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is dry and crumbly.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 to 12 minutes or until smooth and dough springs back when lightly touched. Flatten dough into a 4-inch square. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Cut dough into quarters. Assemble pasta machine or pasta roller attachment according to manufacturer’s directions; set rollers at the widest setting. Lightly dust one portion of dough with additional all-purpose flour; press to flatten dough to ¼-inch thickness.
Feed dough once through the pasta rollers at the widest setting. Lay pasta on the work surface and fold it into thirds; lightly dust with all-purpose flour. Feed dough through pasta rollers at the widest setting one more time. Set pasta rollers to the second-widest setting. Feed dough once through the pasta roller. Fold dough in half; feed through one more time.
Continue feeding dough through progressively narrower roller settings until dough is about ¹⁄₁₆ inch thick, dusting dough at each setting with all-purpose flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
Lay pasta sheet flat on a lightly floured surface and generously dust with semolina flour; lightly cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat rolling out remaining 3 portions of dough.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with semolina flour; set aside.
Loosely roll each pasta sheet into a cylinder. Cut pasta cylinder crosswise into ½-inch-wide slices. Unroll pasta slices and separate. Dust with semolina flour to prevent noodles from sticking together. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to slightly dry.
Meanwhile, for ragu, in 6-quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add celery, shallot and carrot; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring frequently.
Add ground lamb to vegetable mixture; cook over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes or until browned (165°F), stirring occasionally to break into crumbles. Stir in garlic, salt, nutmeg and white pepper.
Slowly stir vinegar into lamb mixture. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in vegetable stock and tomato paste. Add 2 thyme sprigs. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 1 to 1½ hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard thyme sprigs.
To cook pasta, fill a pasta pot with 3 quarts of water; bring to boil over high heat. Generously salt water. Add pasta to boiling water. Quickly return to boiling. Boil, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Quickly drain.
Immediately add hot pasta to ragu in Dutch oven; add 2 tablespoons mint. Gently toss until combined, being careful not to break the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with additional thyme and mint; serve with Pecorino Romano, if desired.