White lamb ragu with rigatoni peas mint and ricotta

Read the full method and weigh the listed ingredients. Prepare the meat and vegetables as described in the ingredient list, keeping sauce, starch, garnish and working ingredients separate. Clean hands, boards and utensils after handling raw meat.

Pat lamb mince dry and season with the listed seasoning. Brown in uncrowded loads in a heavy pan with the listed oil, turning to colour the surfaces. Transfer to a clean plate; it will finish cooking later.

Pour off excess rendered fat, keeping a thin film. Soften onion in remaining ragu oil for 8 minutes.

Stir in garlic for 1 minute.

Add white wine, scrape the browned residue from the pan and bubble until substantially reduced.

Return lamb with stock and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and partly cover.

Cook gently; total simmering takes 20–25 minutes until tender and fully cooked.

Stir, check the base is not catching and adjust the heat. Add the listed top-up water if needed.

Continue at a gentle simmer until the stated readiness cue is reached.

Add peas for the final 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove thyme stem and season.

Beat ricotta with finishing olive oil, black pepper and some listed warm top-up water until spoonable.

Put the listed pasta cooking water and cooking salt in a large saucepan and start heating.

Allow the water to reach a full boil; the timer assumes a covered pan and a strong hob.

Add rigatoni to the boiling water and stir to separate. Follow its packet for the final cooking time.

Cook until just short of the packet’s al dente time; this timer is an estimate for dried pasta. Fresh pasta cooks faster.

Stir briefly, taste for doneness and extend if needed.

Reserve some starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Toss drained pasta into the finished sauce over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved pasta water gradually until coated.

Take off the heat and fold in pecorino, chopped mint and lemon zest. Divide between warm bowls, add spoonfuls of ricotta and finish with remaining mint and black pepper.