INGREDIENTS
Braised lamb & cavatelli with Castelvetrano olives
2-3 pounds of American lamb leg, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
3 cloves minced garlic
1 27-ounce can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes in juice
1 cup water
12 ounces cavatelli pasta (3/4 of a 1 pound box)
1/2 cup chopped basil
Whipped Herby Chèvre
8 ounces soft chèvre
1/2 cup basil leaves
A few leaves of flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small clove garlic or 1/2 clove
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pan suitable for braising, brown the meat in the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with a spatula, making a sauce.
Stir, cover with a lid, and braise 2-3 hours in the oven. Check every 45 minutes for dryness. Add water in 1/2-cup increments if needed. Check for doneness at two hours and allow to cook up to 3 hours, if necessary. Once the sauce is finished, remove from the oven and let stand. (USDA recommends lamb reach an internal temp of 145F with a 3 minute rest)
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then mix with the cooked sauce. Top with chopped basil.
Add all ingredients for the whipped chèvre to the work bowl of your food processor and whirl it until smooth.
To serve, swipe 1-2 tablespoons of the chèvre onto the bottom of your bowl, then spoon the hot pasta over the top and garnish with more basil. Enjoy!
