Recipe: Pappardelle with ragù de cordero
A perfect pasta recipe to prepare in a short time: pappardelle with a generous slow-cooked lamb ragù.
This pasta recipe was first created when Café du Coin opened. It's served only on weekends to maintain tradition: it's the pasta to share on Saturdays and the comforting pasta for Sundays. In Bologna, it's made with minced beef, but this version uses lamb, which has a more intense flavor.
Timeline
For the lamb: The night before, rub, massage, and salt the lamb's skin. Cut the leg into pieces, place them in an ovenproof dish, and roast for 30 minutes at 220°C (425°F), until caramelized. Remove the dish from the oven, reserving the rendered fat, and add the garlic, onion, celery stalk, and coarsely chopped carrots. Add white wine until it reaches halfway up the sides of the dish. Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil to steam. Return the lamb to the oven at 110°C (230°F) overnight. The next day, remove the dish from the oven, remove the parchment paper and aluminum foil. Let the meat rest in its stock at room temperature so it continues to absorb the liquid and remains tender and juicy. Remove the lamb pieces and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the stock. Shred the lamb, removing any remaining pieces of cartilage and bone. Reserve the meat.
For the sofrito: Grease a large saucepan with butter and oil over low heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the thyme, rosemary, and fennel seeds. Cook until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Add the shredded meat and then the peeled tomatoes. Add enough lamb stock to cover the saucepan (reserve some for later). Simmer over low heat all day, adding more stock as the ragù absorbs it.
For the pasta: Cook the pappardelle al dente, reserving some of the cooking water. Melt five generous tablespoons of butter in a large, clean saucepan, add the reserved cooking water, then the pasta along with ten heaped tablespoons of ragù. Cook until the sauce is well combined (about 1 minute and 30 seconds). Serve the pasta on each plate and garnish with a pinch of sea salt, a little arugula, and Parmesan cheese.
It's ready!