North Italian Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

This is my absolute favourite lamb ragu recipe. Although I do like tomato based ragu - I definitely prefer this North Italian style (although they would likely add veal and beef) with no tomatoes in the sauce. Milk, cream and stock is used instead.

You may be surprised at the length of time it takes to cook, particularly the 60 minutes for the mince. But it is a labour of love and you will be rewarded by a rich, beautiful flavour that will delight!

Ingredients:       (Serves 4)
500g lamb mince
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
grate of nutmeg
salt and pepper
100ml. milk
1 1/2 tbsp. tomato puree (paste)
200ml. vegetable stock (cube is fine)
60ml. double cream
freshly grated parmesan
250g dried pappardelle

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrot, garlic and parsley. Cook on a medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the onion translucent. Add the lamb mince and cook, stirring to combine with the onion mix and breaking up the mince with a spoon as you go. With the heat on medium/low, continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 60 minutes. The lamb should cook gently and start to brown. If the lamb is going too brown too quickly, you have the heat too high.

Add a grating of nutmeg, some salt and pepper to taste, and milk. Cook until most of the milk has absorbed, then add the tomato puree and stock. Stir again. Reduce the heat to low. Half cover and cook for a further 60-90 minutes. Finally add the cream and a little more parsley.

Towards the end of the cooking time, boil some water in a saucepan for the pappardelle. Add pasta and cook until still a bit too al dente (still not completely cooked) Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Put the drained pasta back into the saucepan and add a couple of ladlefuls of the lamb ragu and a a good splash of the pasta water. Mix and let the pasta cook its final few minutes in the ragu. This will get the flavour into the pasta. Taste to check the pasta is cooked to your liking and serve the pasta in a large bowl. Top with more ragu, fresh parmesan and some fresh parsley if liked.