Penne with lamb ragu

"In the great 'milk in pasta sauce' debate, I've always erred on the side of traditionalists and forgone the dairy. However, this ragu (inspired by Julia Busuttil Nishimura) is the type of hearty and rich ragu that can only be achieved with a little splash of milk, and an obscene amount of cheese to serve."

Penne with lamb ragu Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• sea salt, to taste
• 400 g lamb mince
• 200 g canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 100 ml beef or vegetable stock
• 50 ml full-cream milk
• 320 g penne
• grated pecorino, to serve

Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring regularly for 15 minutes or until soft and beginning to colour.
2. Add the rosemary, allspice and a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Increase the heat to high, and add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, then add the milk and cook for another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low to keep the sauce warm.
4. Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Reserve 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking water and drain.
5. Increase the sauce heat to medium, and once bubbling, add the cooked pasta and some of the pasta water to loosen if necessary. Cook the pasta in the ragu for another few minutes or until al dente. Check the seasoning, then serve with lashings of grated pecorino.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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