Malfalde Lamb Ragu, Slow Cooked With Wine And San Marzano Tomatoes (tuscany) Recipe

Prepare and brown the lamb

Cut the boneless lamb shoulder into 2-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towels and season evenly with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the lamb on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch, until a deep mahogany color develops. Transfer browned pieces to a plate and set aside.

Build the soffritto

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter to the same pot. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Sweat gently, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Develop tomato base and deglaze

Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until it darkens slightly. Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Increase heat briefly and simmer the wine until reduced by about two-thirds (about 8–10 minutes), leaving a concentrated flavor and no harsh raw alcohol.

Combine and simmer

Return the browned lamb to the pot. Crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand or with a wooden spoon and add them and their juices to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles.

Slow cook

Cover the pot partially (leave a small gap for steam to escape) and simmer gently for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring every 20–30 minutes and checking liquid level. If the ragu becomes too thick and meat is not yet tender, add up to 125 ml stock or water. The lamb is done when it is fall-apart tender and the sauce is rich and concentrated.

Finish the ragu

Remove and discard the rosemary and thyme stems and bay leaves. Using two forks, shred larger pieces of lamb into bite-sized morsels or leave some chunkier pieces as desired. Stir in the milk to mellow acidity and cook an additional 8–10 minutes uncovered to integrate. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. If sauce seems very thin, increase heat briefly to reduce to desired thickness.

Cook the malfalde

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (roughly 4–6 liters water, 1 tablespoon salt). Cook the malfalde according to package directions until al dente, typically 8–10 minutes for dried. Reserve 250 ml of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Finish the pasta and serve

Return drained malfalde to the pot or a large sauté pan over low heat. Add 2–3 ladlefuls of the lamb ragu and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce that clings to the pasta (about 120–180 ml). Stir in half of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the chopped parsley. Divide pasta among 6 warmed plates, top with additional ragu, sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano and a pinch of lemon zest if using. Drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and serve immediately.