Friday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, and here at Express.co.uk – to honour fabulous women – we are sharing Nigella Lawson’s tasty recipe.
Nigella uses her “favourite” pasta for the lamb ragu recipe – pappardelle, which is eggy wide ribbons, but you can use any pasta you would like.
“Pappardelle, those egg-rich, wide ribbons, are my favourite here, but do choose any pasta you want,” Nigella encouraged.
Her mouthwatering meat sauce is inspired by Sicilian culinary flavours, such as dried wild mint and chilli, but she’s added an “Anglo” twist with redcurrant jelly.
Here’s how to make Nigella’s pappardelle with lamb ragu recipe that is ready in just half an hour.
Nigella Lawson’s pappardelle with lamb ragu recipe
Serves: two
Ingredients:
One-and-a-half tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil
Four spring onions (finely sliced)
One teaspoon of dried mint
One teaspoon of dried oregano
A quarter teaspoon of crushed chillies
250g minced lamb
One x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
One tablespoon of redcurrant jelly
One-and-a-half teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes
Grinding of pepper
250g pappardelle
Fresh mint to serve (optional)
Nigella said: “If you can find a bit of fresh mint to add as you serve, then go for it.”
Method
Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta, and warm the garlic oil in a small, heavy-based pan that comes with a lid; cook the spring onions, stirring for a minute or so.
Method
Sprinkle in the herbs and chilli, stirring again before adding the meat. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, until it loses a bit of its pinkness.
Add the tomatoes, redcurrant jelly, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, stir and bring to a bubble. Partially cover with the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
At the appropriate time, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, dress with the lamb ragù. Sprinkle a little bit of fresh mint onto each bowl to serve.
If you want to have the pasta ragu for another day, then you can cover and refrigerate it within two hours of cooking.
The lamb ragu will keep in the fridge for up to three days; if frozen, it can be stored for up to three months.
When it comes to cooking from frozen, Nigella advised thawing overnight in the fridge first and then reheating the meat in a saucepan till “piping hot”, adding a splash of water if necessary.
The meat can then be served with fresh pasta that has been made on the same day you want to eat the meal.
