The combination of lamb and pasta is undoubtedly a winning one. It combines two highly versatile ingredients, each bringing their own superpower to the plate. For pasta, it’s the near-universal love, familiarity and comfort – 86% of consumers love or like it, and everyone knows it. Lamb shows up with an instant upgrade and sophistication, a bit of adventure and something outside the everyday. Taken together, it’s an easy order that makes sense for guests and operators alike. We asked a few of our chef mates for their thoughts on this dynamic duo, and for favorite lamb pastas in their repertoire. Starting with Chef Ryan Peters, of Peters Pasta, our resident pasta guru!
The dish: Pappardelle with lamb shank ragu
“I’m a firm believer that pasta is very simple - it’s just 2-3 ingredients. When making a pasta dish, your job as a chef is to take great ingredients and not f*ck them up! Especially having seen where it comes from, I want to let the Aussie lamb shanks take the spotlight as they are and not hide them. I still think about this pappardelle. I braised the shank down in Aussie red wine and Calabrian chilies, served with fresh pappardelle. In a cold weather, it’s really soul-satisfying.”
The dish: Harissa Lumache with Australian Lamb Sugo, Fava Beans and Labneh
“I love how Australian lamb’s natural flavor stands up to the bold spices I like to use. Harissa and lamb is a no-brainer pairing that bridges the middle east and Mediterranean. This dish gives you those big tagine flavors of North Africa, but in a comfortable context with the pasta. There’s harissa in the pasta dough itself, and in the braised lamb sugo, too. A little mint oil along with the labneh tames the heat a bit, and the fresh favas give a nice little pop and earthiness, too.” - Chef John DaSilva, Chickadee, Boston
“Both lamb and pasta share affinities with traditionally aromatic ingredients like alliums (garlic, onion, shallot, etc) and woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano). Lamb, with its ability to be delicate and lean -- or rich and indulgent – effortlessly brings savory glutamates and complexity of flavor. That makes it a great partner for pasta dishes. Side note - some great dishes born from northern Chinese cuisine are wonderful inspiration for the interplay of wheat forms (like noodles) and lamb.” -Chef Tristan Acevedo, Flashpoint Innovation
The dish: Braised Lamb Shank Cavatelli
“This is one of my favourite dishes to make and it can change with the seasons. You can make it bright and vibrant for the spring and summer months by adding the peas, loads of mint and herbs maybe some fiddle heads when they pop up in the spring. Then in the winter you can load on the root vegetables and make it very hearty and warm. Australian lamb shanks bring the perfect texture and body to the sauce, and it’s easy for teams to execute.” -Chef David Godsoe, Ottawa Venues
