Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragù, Taggiasche Olives, and Mint

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To marinate the lamb, combine the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Place the lamb shanks in a nonreactive baking dish or a large bowl and rub the marinade into all sides of the lamb. Cover the dish or bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to marinate the lamb for at least several hours and up to overnight.

   Step 2

   To make the ragù adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

   Step 3

   Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large, ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lamb from the marinade and wipe off the marinade. Sear the lamb shanks, turning the shanks so they brown evenly, about 15 minutes total. Remove the lamb shanks to a plate. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan you cooked the lamb in and heat until it’s almost smoking. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning. Add the anchovies and bay leaf. Move the vegetables to create a bare spot in the pan, add the tomato paste to that spot, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to caramelize the tomato paste slightly. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and boil the wine for about 2 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook for about 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Return the lamb shanks to the pan as well as any juices that have released onto the plate they were resting on. Add enough stock so that only 1 inch of the lamb is visible. Nestle the rosemary sprig between the shanks. If you have commercial- grade plastic wrap, which won’t melt in the oven, cover the pan with plastic wrap. In either case, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on the pot if it has one. Place the pan in the oven and cook the lamb until it is tender and falling off the bones, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil and plastic if you are using it, being careful not to burn yourself from the steam that will arise from the pan. Set aside to allow the lamb shanks to cool to room temperature in the braising liquid; transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to make the ragù.

   Step 4

   Lift the lamb shanks from the braising liquid to a plate. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables in the strainer to extract as much liquid as you can from them, and discard the contents of the strainer. Skim the fat from the braising liquid. Remove and discard the fat cap before proceeding.

   Step 5

   Pull the meat off the lamb shanks and carefully pick through the meat to remove any sinew and bones. Put the pulled meat in the saucepan with the braising liquid and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the lamb with the braising liquid, stirring to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the meat and sauce have combined into a thick, saucelike consistency. The time will vary from 10 to 20 minutes depending on how much braising liquid you started with. Use the ragù or allow it to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to three days; freeze it for as long as three months. Warm the ragù over medium heat before serving, adding enough water to loosen it to a saucelike consistency.

   Step 6

   If you are not using a pasta pot, place a colander in the sink or have tongs handy for lifting the pasta out of the water.

   Step 7

   While the water is coming to a boil, combine 1 1/2 cups of the ragù, the tomato sauce, butter, and chicken stock in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Stir the ingredients to combine and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sauce is warmed through. Reduce the heat while you are cooking the tagliatelle.

   Step 8

   Remove the tagliatelle from the refrigerator or freezer and drop it into the boiling water. Stir to prevent the strands from sticking together, partially cover the pot so the water returns to a boil quickly and continues boiling, and cook the pasta until it’s al dente, about 2 minutes. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, place the sauce over high heat. Lift the pasta out of the cooking water, or reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring gently so you don’t tear the pasta, to stain the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry and sticky instead of slippery and glistening. Turn off the heat and gently stir in the olives, parsley, and mint. Add the finishing-quality olive oil, stirring vigorously and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano and stir to combine.

   Step 9

   Use tongs to lift the tagliatelle out of the pan and onto the center of each of six plates, dividing the pasta evenly, and twirling it as it falls onto the plate to form a tight mound. Spoon any sauce left in the pan over the pasta and use a microplane or another fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each plate, and serve.

2. suggested wine pairing

   Step 10

   Lacrima di Morro d’ Alba (The Marches)