A Family that Eats Together: Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's recipe for this week is this lamb ragù with pappardelle noodles.

I found this recipe years ago after I had surgery. While in recovery I read endless cookbooks and magazines and found this recipe in Food and Wine from 2005. It was the first meal I ate when I came home and I was blown away. My mom made it for me at that time but this time I made it and it was just as good. My family went wild for it, especially my son who cleaned his bowl, which almost never happens. We also had it for lunch today, and a day later it is even better.

There seems to be a lot of ingredients but there are really only a few more than a usual ragù. This recipe also lends itself to kids helping in the kitchen. As with a few other recipes of mine, I use whole coriander and fennel seeds and let my son mash them in the mortar and pestle, which is one of his favorite pastimes. If you don’t feel like using a mortar and pestle, store-bought ground herbs are just as good.

Recipe by Andrew Carmellini

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery rib, finely diced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 3/4 pound pappardelle
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint

Directions

1. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss over low heat. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.