SCHIAFFONI WITH LAMB & BEEF RAGU
Prep: 15 min | Serve: 4
| Cook: 15 min (plus ragu cooking time )
This is one of my most successful recipes, a rich and hearty pasta that always gets rave reviews. Large schiaffoni tubes perfectly hold the slow-cooked lamb and beef ragu, lifted with Norma sauce, rosemary, butter, and finished with Grana Padano. Bold, rustic, and deeply comforting.
Ingredients
20 g Schiaffoni
800 g Lamb & beef ragu
200 g Tomato sauce
120 g Butter
40 ml Extra virgin olive oil
12 g Fresh rosemary
40 g Grana Padano (grated)
Lamb & Beef Ragu (Batch Recipe)
Yield: approx. 12–13 kg
Ingredients
4.5 kg Lamb shoulder
4.5 kg Beef chuck
40 g Garlic (peeled)
1 kg Brown onion (diced)
100 ml Extra virgin olive oil
100 g Salt flakes
100 g Basil leaves
6 kg Peeled tomatoes (pelati)
200 ml Red wine
Method
Cut the lamb shoulder and beef chuck into large chunks.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches and set aside.
In the same pot, add the diced onion and garlic. Cook until softened.
Return the browned meat to the pot, pour in the red wine and let it reduce for a few minutes.
Add the peeled tomatoes, salt flakes, and basil leaves. Stir well.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 3.5–4.5 hours (or until the meat is falling apart), stirring occasionally. Add a little water if it becomes too thick.
Once cooked, shred the meat with two forks directly in the sauce and mix well. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Method – Finished Dish
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
In a wide pan, gently warm 800 g of the lamb & beef ragu. Add the Tomato sauce, fresh rosemary, and butter. Stir until the butter melts and the sauce is glossy. Adjust salt if necessary.
Drop the schiaffoni into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water, and toss it directly into the sauce for 30–60 seconds to emulsify.
Plate immediately. Finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Grana Padano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
📜 Chef’s Notes & Tips
I sometimes like to cook the beef chuck as a whole piece and shred it only at the end , it gives a much better texture. This ragu tastes even better the next day.