Bored with bolognese? Try this lamb and pea ragu for a change, it’s just as comforting but peas for a bit of Spring freshness.
Wine Suggestion: We had a glass of the Umani Ronchi Rosso Conero Serrano, which is an unoaked Montepulciano with a touch of Sangiovese. Springtime in a glass.
Lamb & pea ragu – serves 6
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 500g lamb mince
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, finely diced
- 1 stick of celery, finely diced
- 1 leek, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- a pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1 anchovy fillet, drained
- a splash of white wine
- 200g tomato passata
- 250ml chicken stock
- 250ml full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 150g frozen peas
- grated Parmesan
- 500g casarecce, fusilli or other pasta
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Add the mince and fry until well browned. Season with salt and pepper and scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the carrot, celery and leek to the fat in the pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, ground fennel seeds, and anchovy to the pan and cook for another minute.
Return the lamb to the pan and stir into the vegetables, then add the splash of wine and allow it to almost evaporate. Add the passata and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is quite thick.
Add the milk and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick and creamy, then stir in the balsamic vinegar and peas and cook for a final 3 minutes. Season again to taste.
Meanwhile, cook the past is lots of very salty water. Drain and reserve a mug of cooking water. Combine the sauce and pasta and add a bit of pasta cooking water to moisten if you need.
Serve with lots of grated Parmesan.
(Original recipe by Jane Baxter in The Guardian)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
I’m going to try this one but will wait until fresh peas are around. I like to cook any ragu long and slow for a greater depth of flavour and reckon that this one would benefit from an extra 4 hours of very slow simmering. That takes ME no extra time, of course; I’d just start it off earlier and go and do something else until it’s time to prepare the pasta (and add the peas).
I finally got around to trying this recipe, now that fresh peas are plentiful and no longer carry a silly price premium. I tasted the sauce after an hour, but cooked it for four: it definitely improved. The peas went in fifteen minutes before the end, and while adding milk so near the end didn’t appeal, two tbsp of double cream added some creamy richness. A good dish.
Hi Clive. That’s great. We’re glad you remembered the dish and enjoyed it! J&J