PAPPARDELLE WITH LAMB SAUCE

This is a very rich pasta Sauce. Between the egg noodles and the sauce it is very satisfying. I have always liked making this dish. We always make enough for at least 2 dinners and a couple of lunches for me.

Pappardelle sella pecora

PAPPARDELLE WITH LAMB SAUCE

Bugialli on Pasta

Giuliano Bugialli

The lamb sauce ofAbruzzi, used with fresh pasta cut with the “guitar,” is made with true lamb, but the Tuscan dish—made not so much in Prato as in the. area between that town and Florence, called Campi—uses meat from an animal a year old, called there not lamb but “sheep,” or pecora. (In Italy lamb is not likely to be more than twelve weeks old.) But the long-cooked pecora is a specialty of Campi, and indeed in our days it is one of the few places in Italy where it can still be found. In earlier times, lamb, sheep, and mutton (montone) all had their separate repertories, but both pecora and montone dishes are extremely rare now. The lamb usually available suits this dish rather well; it is much older than the twelve-week-old “baby” lamb, though younger than the pecora used in Campi. Campi, Prato, and Florence were all once the center of the Western European wool industry; indeed, Florence’s original fortunes were made in that trade, and only later in banking.

Prepare the sauce. Finely chop the onion, celery, and carots all together on a board, then mix with the ground lamb in a small bowl. Place the oil in a deep saucepan over low heat; when the oil is warm, add the contents-of the bowl and Saute for 5 minutes. Add the lamb cubes and the thyme and rosemary if you are using fresh sprigs. If you are using dried thyme and rosemary, tie them in a piece of cheesecloth and reserve for later use. Saute for 5 minutes more, then pour in the wine and let it evaporate for 5 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, cut them into small pieces. Pass fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disc with smallest holes, into a small howl. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper to taste, Cook for 15 minutes, then add the broth. If you are using dried thyme and rosemary, submerge the cheesecloth bag of herbs into the sauce at this point: Simmer the sauce for 1 hour over low heat, stirring every so often with a wooden-spoon.

When the sauce is ready, discard the sprigs of thyme and rosemary or the cheesecloth bag and transfer the sauce to a large skillet over low heat. Place a large pot of cold water over medium heat; when the water reaches a boil, add coarse salt to taste, then add the pasta, and cook 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the dryness. Drain the pasta, transfer it to a large bowl, add the buttdr, and toss very well. Transfer the pasta to the skillet, mix very well, then arrange on a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 6 To 8

For the Sauce

2       Garlic Cloves

1       medium-sized red onion, peeled

1       large stalk celery

2       medium-sized carrots, scraped

½      pound coarsely ground lamb

4       tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2  pound boneless lamb, cut into ¼-inch cubes

1       medium-sized sprig fresh thyme, or 1  tablespoon dried

1       medium-sized sprig fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried and blanched

1       cup dry white wine

1-1/2  pounds ripe, fresh tomatoes; or 1-1/2 pounds canned tomatoes, preferably imported Italian, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1                 cup lukewarm chicken or beef broth, preferably homemade

To Serve

8       Tablespoons (4 Ounces) Sweet Butter, cut into small pieces

1/2     Cup Fresh Grated Parmigiano Cheese

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