Fusilli con ragù d’agnello (fusilli with lamb ragù)
- Published: 29 Aug 24
- Updated: 29 Aug 24
For such a small Italian region, Molise is the birthplace of many famous pasta shapes – including fusilli – and lamb is the meat of choice locally. There are dozens of ragù recipes in Molise (some with tomato, some without), but this one keeps things simple and allows the lamb to take centre stage, with rosemary, sage and celery adding a lovely herbaceous base note. This dish is typical of Molise’s cuisine, and will amaze you with its intense flavours.
For such a small area, Molise has dramatic scenery – mountains and coast, with much of the landscape unspoiled. The food is rustic, but what makes Molise stand out is its pasta-making heritage. This is where fusilli, the spiralled supermarket staple, comes from, often paired with a ragù of lamb, the region’s meat of choice. There’s also a taste for offal, and chillies are used to flavour the local salumi and pampanella, a spicy street-food snack of roasted pork. Browse our full foodie guide to Molise, including its star ingredients and dishes.
-
Serves 4 -
Hands-on time 25 min. Simmering time 45 min
Before you start
You can whizz the veg, garlic and herbs to a coarse paste in a food processor if you’d prefer not to chop everything finely by hand.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 579kcals
- Fat
- 23g (9.2g saturated)
- Protein
- 27g
- Carbohydrates
- 55g (4.5g sugars)
- Fibre
- 4.2g
- Salt
- 1g
delicious. tips
Using finely chopped lamb instead of mince gives this dish a much more meaty, satisfying flavour and texture. Take the time to chop it properly, as larger pieces will take longer to become tender.