Alma's Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu, Peas, Mint & Pecorino
Restaurant Alma is one of Minneapolis' original farm-to-table restaurants. Its co-founder/owner, Alex Roberts (also of the local, fast-casual chain Brasa), was the winner of a 2010 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest. In 2016, the restaurant expanded to include a café and boutique hotel.
Known for seasonal tasting menus driven by local ingredients, Alma's executive chef is Maggie Whelan. Chef Whelan has been with Alma for 13 years and embodies the restaurant's ethos of rigorous, yet unpretentious excellence.
This recipe for fresh tagliatelle with lamb bolognese is a classic Alma dish: fresh, layered, and comforting.
Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu, Peas, Mint & Pecorino
- Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time 45 minutes
- Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Ragu
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, large dice
- 1 celery rib, large dice
- 1 medium yellow onion, large dice
- ½ cup finely chopped prosciutto or pancetta (optional)
- 1.5 lb ground lamb
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup whole milk or ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Pasta
Fresh tagliatelle (recipe below) is ideal, but the ragu also works with pappardelle, other wide flat noodles, or bronze-cut high-quality dried shapes such as orecchiette or rigatoni.
To Finish
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to serve
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- Olive oil for drizzling
Directions
Finely chop the vegetables, either by hand or with a food processor. If using a food processor, add the onion last and pulse briefly to avoid excess water.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low. Add the vegetables with a pinch of salt. Cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and sweet, 25–30 minutes.
Add prosciutto (if using) and cook 2–3 minutes. Add the lamb, chili flakes, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat begins to caramelize and darken in color — this may take up to 45–60 minutes over medium-low heat.
Deglaze by pouring in the wine, then simmer and reduce until nearly dry. Stir in tomatoes and milk. Lower heat to a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, for another 1–1½ hours, stirring now and then. The sauce should become thick, rich, and well-integrated. Stir in butter at the end.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (2–3 minutes for fresh; longer for dried). Reserve 1 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta directly to ragu from pot with tongs.
To finish the dish, add peas to the ragu. Toss pasta into the sauce with Pecorino and a splash of pasta water, stirring until glossy. Adjust with more pasta water as needed.
Serve. Divide into bowls. Top with Pecorino, torn mint, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
- 3½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1–3 Tbsp water, as needed
- Semolina or extra all-purpose flour for dusting
Directions
Hand-Mixed “Well” Method
- Mound flour on a clean counter and make a deep well. Add eggs directly into the well.
- Beat eggs with a fork, gradually pulling in flour. When thick, switch to a bench scraper and continue to combine until dough forms. Add water 1 tsp at a time if too dry.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 30–40 minutes at room temperature.
- Unwrap, then cut into 4 even pieces. Flatten and roll through a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold in thirds, rotate, and repeat 3–4 times to achieve lamination (layering).
- Continue rolling pasta, moving down one setting at a time on the machine, until sheets are thin but sturdy (setting 6–7 on most machines). Dust with semolina and hand-cut into ¾-inch ribbons. Toss with more semolina and form loose nests, resting the pasta on a baking sheet for easy access.
Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
- Add flour and eggs to mixer bowl. Mix on low until crumbly. Add water 1 tsp at a time if needed.
- Knead on low-medium until smooth and cohesive, 6–8 minutes.
- Follow steps 4–6 above.
Tips & Tricks
Fresh tagliatelle cooks in 2–3 minutes in salted water. Nests can be refrigerated, uncovered on a baking sheet, up to 24 hours or frozen, then cooked directly from frozen with 30–60 seconds extra.
