Ingredients
| FOR THE RAGÙ | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | |
| 1 tablespoon cumin seeds | |
| 500g lamb mince | |
| 1 large onion, chopped | |
| 1 carrot, peeled, chopped | |
| 1 stick celery, chopped | |
| 1 parsnip peeled, chopped (woody centre removed if necessary) | |
| 1 bay leaf | |
| 1 sprig of thyme | |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | |
| ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (plus extra for garnishing) | |
| 125ml white wine | |
| 1 litre lamb or chicken stock or water | |
| 45g (¼ cup) pearl barley (optional) | |
| TO FINISH THE PASTA | |
| 350-400g bucatini (depending on your appetite) | |
| a good handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped | |
| a knob of butter (optional) | |
| 30g parmesan, plus extra for garnishing, freshly grated |
Lamb with cumin is a favourite combination of mine and I’ve come to realise that the pairing of sweet meat and the citrussy warmth of the spice was ingrained from my childhood. Mum’s Scotch broth was a winter staple and it was always served with a good sprinkling of cumin. I’ve used that as the inspiration for this ragù of lamb with the flavours of the broth and a little more chilli. I’ve used lamb mince here but I’ve also made versions of this with slow-cooking lamb cuts such as neck chops or shanks (use the base recipe but add a little more liquid and a longer cooking time). Pearled barley is traditional for the soup and I like it with the ragù (I tend to cook it separately as it can suck up all the liquid in the pan), but it can be omitted if you wish. The sturdy heft of bucatini works well here, but spaghetti is a great option, too.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the oil in a large saucepan. |
| 2. | Add the cumin seeds and cook over a medium-high heat for 1 minute until fragrant. |
| 3. | Add the lamb mince and cook until brown, breaking up any lumps, about 4-5 minutes. |
| 4. | Add the onion, carrot, celery, parsnip, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, chilli flakes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over a low heat until softened, 8-10 minutes. |
| 5. | Add the white wine and reduce by half. |
| 6. | Add the stock and simmer on low for 40 minutes until the stock is incorporated. |
| 7. | Put the barley in a small saucepan, cover generously with water, add a sprinkle of salt and bring to a simmer. |
| 8. | Cook until bite tender, about 25-30 minutes. |
| 9. | Drain, reserving the water. |
| 10. | Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. |
| 11. | Gently reheat the lamb in a pan. |
| 12. | Add the pearl barley (and if necessary some of the barley water to loosen the ragù), most of the parsley and a little butter to add some gloss if required. |
| 13. | Stir through the drained pasta and coat well, then stir through the parmesan. |
| 14. | Serve in warmed bowls, sprinkled with extra parmesan and chopped parsley. |
| 15. | VEGETARIAN |
| 16. | Use 1 cup lentils cooked in place of the mince (slightly mash if you prefer) and use vegetable stock. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant
Photography Aaron McLean
Styling Jessica Crowe