I’m absolutely in love with this dish for so many reasons. Not only is it incredibly yummy, it’s a big nod to both of my wonderful grandmothers. The spiced lamb ragu is so Lebanese for Jeanie with the warm coriander and cinnamon. The tender, fresh mint fettuccine is all Italian for Lulu. Putting the two of them together was just a match made in culinary heaven.
Once the dough was rested, it was time to roll it out. This was the most fun part! I love making fresh pasta so much. The detailed instructions on how I like to roll out and cut my pasta dough can be found in my post about fresh pasta making here. The only difference is that this time I doubled the recipe since I wanted more fettuccine.
When it was time to eat, I was so excited about how it all came out. The spiced lamb ragu had so much flavor. It was simply divine! The tender, fresh pasta was so incredible with it. This spiced lamb ragu over fresh mint fettuccine has definitely become a very special favorite in our house! I loved that it had the influences of both of my grandmothers on one plate.
Spiced Lamb Ragu over Fresh Mint Fettuccine
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 6
Ingredients
FOR THE FRESH MINT FETTUCCINE
- 7 whole fresh mint leaves
- 22 ounces all-purpose flour
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 pinch salt
FOR THE SPICED LAMB RAGU
- 1 dash olive oil
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coriander
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 whole onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 dash worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 cans crushed tomato 28 ounce size
- 8 whole mint leaves cut into chiffonade for garnish
Instructions
- First, prepare the pasta dough. Get a small pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Have a bowl filled with ice water handy. Boil the mint leaves for about a minute and then transfer them with a slotted spoon right into the ice water to stop the cooking. It's the same as when you blanch vegetables! Take the leaves and either put them into a mortar, or into a food processor. If you are using a mortar, crush the leaves thoroughly with the pestle to make them into a paste. If you want to use the processor, you are basically going to puree the mint leaves into the same paste consistency.
- Take the flour and make it into a large well. Crack the eggs into the center of the well, along with the mint leaf paste and pinch of salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs while slowly incorporating the flour without breaking the well. Once a dough starts to form, bring it all together with your hands into a big ball of dough. Knead the pasta dough for about 2-3 minutes to really make sure it is beautiful and uniform. Wrap it in plastic, and let it rest for an hour. This lets the gluten in the flour relax to make it really tender.
- While the dough rests, prepare the spiced lamb ragu. Get a large pot on the stove and heat the olive oil in it over medium high heat. Brown the lamb until completely cooked through. While it is cooking, season it and spice it up with the coriander, cinnamon, salt, cumin, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Add in the onion and let it get soft and fragrant. Next, add in the garlic and tomato paste and let them cook for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the sriracha, Worcestershire and red wine. Give everything a big stir and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes to let the alcohol in the wine cook off. Pour in the crushed tomato and bring the mixture to a boil. Give it another big stir and reduce it to a simmer. Let the spiced lamb ragu simmer for an hour to let the flavors meld beautifully.
- Get a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta and salt it until it tastes like the sea. When the dough is rested, it's time to roll it out. This is the most fun part! First cut the ball of dough into quarters. Then roll out each quarter super thin, until you can almost see your hand through it. I use a pasta roller attachment on my kitchen aid mixer and it is fantastic! See my post on fresh pasta making to get detailed instructions on how to roll out and cut the pasta. Each quarter will get so long that it will need to be cut in half to be the right length, so you will end up with 8 sheets of pasta. You can cut each sheet into ribbons by hand (that's what fettuccine means, little ribbons!) or use the fettuccine cutting attachment that usually comes with the pasta roller.
- By this time, the water should be boiling and the spiced lamb ragu should be ready! Get the fettuccine into the boiling water to cook, it will only take about a minute. Then drain it and add it into the pot with the spiced lamb ragu. Toss everything together thoroughly for about a minute, then take the pot off of the heat. You're ready to serve! Plate the pasta and sprinkle some of the little ribbons of fresh mint on top for a pretty pop of green. Enjoy and buon appetito!
Wow, what a unique recipe! I’ve never thought of infusing herbs and flavors into pasta before.
Oh I love fresh pasta! There’s absolutely nothing like it. I love lamb too, and don’t make it nearly enough. This recipe is inspiring me to get off my butt and make some pasta 🙂
Oh, awesome!! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Oh my gosh I loved how yummy your noodles look. Homemade noodles are just the best! Also I love your grandmother’s names. Lulu is just adorable.
Oh thank you so much!! The kind words are so appreciated.
Ooh, this sounds good! Not sure if I’d attempt preparing lamb, but it would be fun to try!
Oh it’s just ground lamb, not like a lamb chop or anything so it is really easy. Just the same as ground beef or pork. It’s a fun recipe, hope you try it and love it!!
This looks delicious and looks like such a fun recipe to make! I want to try to make my own noodles soon.
Thank you so much!! It is so fun to make your own pasta, I hope you try it and have a blast :-).