Rigatoni With Lamb Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced onions
• 5 plump garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and finely minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus a few tablespoons for the cherry tomatoes)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (or other hot pepper)
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup choppped celery
• 1 piece peeled fresh ginger (1-inch piece)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 -1 1/2 lb ground lamb
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed with your fingers
• 2 cups dry wine
• 1/2 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 -3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade
• 1 lb dried rigatoni pasta
• freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Recipe

• 1 put the onions and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1/4 cup olive oil.
• 2 saute over low heat for 10 minutes.
• 3 meanwhile, chop the hot pepper, carrots, celery, and ginger in a food processor until they are finely minced but not reduced to mush.
• 4 transfer to the saucepan and stir into the onion and garlic.
• 5 add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 6 continue to saute, stirring often, until all the vegetables are soft and cooked through; 10-15 minutes more.
• 7 add the lamb, increase the heat to med-high and stir until the meat is no longer pink.
• 8 add the parsley, dried mint, and wine.
• 9 bring to a boil.
• 10 decrease heat and simmer vigorously until most of the wine has evaporated.
• 11 taste and add more salt, if necessary.
• 12 bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• 13 toss the cherry tomatoes with the fresh mint and enough olive oil to coat them.
• 14 add salt to taste and set aside.
• 15 add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water; drop in the rigatoni and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
• 16 drain and transfer the pasta to a large, heated serving bowl.
• 17 toss with enough of the sauce to coat the pasta generously.
• 18 top with the tomatoes and serve right away with extra sauce passed at the table with the pecorino romano.