Gnocchi with a Mutton, Orange & Parsley Ragu

This rich, warming pasta sauce was an improvisation, but one that seemed to work very well! I served it with homemade gnocchi, following this recipe, but there would be no shame in using decent ready made gnocchi, or serving it with pasta. The skins from the (baked) potatoes required in the recipe were served up as a little ‘antipasti’ – I spooned a little ricotta into each half and grilled them for a few minutes until crispy, then drizzled them with a little olive oil and balsamic…. Nothing Michelin-starred about it but it always feels good not to waste anything in the kitchen!

To do this justice you need good quality mince (I used mutton, but lamb or good quality beef mince would work too) and a decent, drinkable, red wine, as it forms the base of the sauce. ‘Cooking’ wine has no place here!

Mutton, Orange & Parsley Ragu

Serves 4, with pasta or gnocchi

 

400g mutton or lamb mince
2 onions (red and brown), thickly sliced
2 sticks of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 leek, diced
5 cloves of garlic, bashed
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp tomato puree
2 glasses of red wine
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 orange
a bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
apple balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt & black pepper

1 Heat a little olive oil in a large pot. Brown the mince, seasoning with plenty of salt and black pepper. If the mince releases a lot of fat, skim most of it off, leaving approx. a tablespoon (save the fat you have skimmed off for the next time you cook roast potatoes etc.). Chuck in the onions, celery, leek and carrot and fry until the onion is soft. Add the oregano and tomato puree, fry for a further couple of minutes. Add enough wine to cover everything, and let it bubble for a few minutes. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise and thinly pared zest of the orange to the pan, and a splash of water to cover.

2 Leave to simmer on a low heat, partially covered, for at least an hour, adding a little water if it starts to dry out.

3 Add the chopped parsley, the juice of half the orange, a good splash of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasonings as appropriate – you want a good balance between sweetness (orange), acidity (balsamic vinegar) and salt. Remove the Bay leaf, cinnamon stick and star anise. Serve with gnocchi or pasta, top with some good ricotta cheese and more parsley.