Fusillo di Felitto con Ragu di Agnello
It is often said in Campania that pasta is a celebration food. Families here were brought up on vegetables and bread and dishes such as this were reserved for the finest of days. As such, it has something intrinsically special about it.
INGREDIENTS
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 stick of celery, peeled and finely diced
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil – we of course go for an oil that comes from Felitto itself, Marco Rizzo’s Incipit, is a Monocultivar of Nostrale di Felitto
2 sprigs of parsley, marjoram and rosemary
6 sage leaves
Seasoning to taste
700g boneless lamb, cut into 2cm cubes
200ml dry white wine
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp pepperoncino flakes
400g Fusilli di Felitto, which you can make or you can substitute with either Bucatini or Fusilli
Freshly grated Pecorino or Cacioricotta to serve
METHOD
Put the sofrito (onion, carrot and celery) into a large heavy based pan along with half of the herbs (blended finely) and the olive oil. Gently fry over a low heat for around 7 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Now raise the heat slightly and add in the lamb allowing it to brown on all sides. Then add in the wine, raise the heat a notch higher and bring to a simmer for around 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, the remaining herbs, the chilli and season well with salt and pepper. Then lower the heat, cover and allow to gently simmer for around an hour and a quarter. Keep an eye on it during this time as you may need to add in a bit of water if the sauce is drying at all.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water and then drain and stir through the ragu, combining well. Serve immediately with grated pecorino or cacioricotta on the top and a final swirl of extra virgin olive oil.