* Lamb Ragu with Cavatappi

This lamb ragu more or less cooked itself, once I'd got everything in the pot - which gave me free time (which is new- haven't had free time since some time in 1983 - I think), to research ways in which to improve my blog. It's actually becoming a bit of an obsession, and some of the tech that you need to know in the background is above my head... so I may have to ask my baby bruvver to lend a hand - he's very, very clever. Got a smart mouth too, which doesn't help.

I'm occasionally in danger of putting the blog, before the cooking - and it's the cooking that makes me happy. The blog is to be a part of and to share the happy. Not be the happy. That made sense in my head. Really.

Although initially I didn't really enjoy the photographic element of sharing the happy, it is now becoming part of the happy (yes, I'm going to be bolding and underlining every mention of the happy... I just did it again. Because I could.) - which is okay, as long as I don't rely on it (the photograph, just in case you were lost) as anything more than a prop. I'm trying to improve my photography without spending any money that I don't have, because a decent photo is a better way of sharing the happy (hahahahaha) than presenting an image of a meatloaf that resembles a dog turd.

Not many people can see beyond the dog turd.

Anyway, if you pop in here occasionally and discover the blog looking very slightly different now and then, I'm just trying to find a better way of sharing the happy (I'm starting to piss myself off now).

Enjoy the ragu, it's too easy (and tasty of course) not to try at least once.

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Serves 4

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 2 hours

You will need
A large pan/skillet with lid

Ingredients
1 tbsp Utterly butterly/olive oil/butter
1 large carrot - peeled and finely diced
1 onion - finely diced
1 stick celery - finely diced
2 cloves garlic - crushed
2 rashers back bacon - chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp dried sage (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 lb/500g lean lamb mince
4.5 fl oz/125ml white wine (I used chardonnay)
4.5 fl oz/125ml lamb stock
1 lb/500g passata
pepper
8.5oz/240g dried cavatappi (or other pasta)

Method

Heat the utterly butterly (or whatever fat you choose) over a low to medium heat. Throw in all of the vegetables, the garlic, the bacon and the herbs and pop the lid on. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Giving the occasional stir.

Turn the heat up a little higher (medium to high) and add the lamb, cook until the lamb is no longer pink - about 5 minutes, then lower the heat to a medium setting and add the white wine and cook until reduced, another 5 minutes.

Add the stock, the passata and a pinch of pepper, stir it all in and bring to a boil. Pop the lid back on and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 hr 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced the ragu is the consistency of a very saucy bolognese. You may need to add a splash of water now and then, to prevent the sauce from drying out... or you may need to take the lid off because the sauce hasn't reduced enough - it all depends on your pot and your stove.

About 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time for the ragu, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.

Serve stirred into cavatappi (or other pasta), and garnished with Parmesan shavings.

EAT

9 propoints per serving of ragu.