Inspired by Xi’an Famous Foods’ popular cumin lamb noodles, this weeknight pasta is all about creating deep flavor in as little time as possible. As in the classic Northern Chinese dish, we deploy a similarly heavy hand of cumin, but complement it here with frizzled shallots and caramelized tomato paste for an added touch of sweetness. To make things extra fast, we use ground lamb and store-bought pappardelle, but any wide, long, flat pasta or other noodle will cling well to the spiced oil and saucy meat. If you like, top the whole thing with a little extra fresh mint to balance out the richness of the dish.
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What you’ll need
Mortar and Pestle
$30 At Amazon
Large Straight-Sided Skillet
$200 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$8 $7 At Amazon
Heatproof Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Colander
$15 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Preparation
Step 1
Coarsely grind 2 Tbsp. cumin seeds in mortar and pestle or spice mill. Set aside.
Step 2
Heat ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add 3 large shallots, thinly sliced, and season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened and beginning to brown around the edges, 6–9 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste and stir to coat shallots. Cook, stirring often, until paste is darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, and reserved cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 lb. ground lamb and break up into small pieces with a wooden spoon; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lamb is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Step 3
Cook 1 lb. pappardelle or other wide noodle in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot off heat.
Step 4
Increase heat under lamb to medium and add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid; stir to combine. Add half of lamb and ½ cup coarsely chopped mint to pasta; cook over medium-low heat, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed to loosen, until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls; top with remaining lamb in skillet, then with more mint.
