If you live in Los Angeles, you are faced with the challenge of where to eat. It’s not that there aren’t any good places to go, it’s quite the opposite; there are too many places to choose from! I keep a list of places I want to visit and was able to finally cross off one restaurant, Bestia. It was beyond my expectations, delivering some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had. I kid you not, I made reservations the following day to visit again (it’s a two-month wait!) Inspired by that meal, I decided to make a homemade Italian dish, pici with lamb ragu. Pici is a great pasta to make if you don’t have a pasta machine since the noodles are all hand-rolled. It takes a little time, but trust me, the results are outstanding.
Serves 4
1 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups semolina flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups tepid water
- pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare pici. Combine semolina and all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and slowly add the water, stirring until a dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover, letting the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Dust a baking sheet with semolina. Dust a clean work counter with flour. Transfer the dough onto the counter. Divide the dough into 1-inch size balls. Roll each ball into a 1/4-inch thick long string. Cut the ropes into 6 inch long pieces and set aside on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and set aside until ready to cook.
- Steep saffron in hot water. Let sit for one hour.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lamb, coriander, thyme, fennel, cumin, rosemary, saffron, and water, cooking until lamb is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add tomato paste, stirring until well combined with the lamb. Add red wine and cook until almost evaporated about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Open lid slightly, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add prepared pici and cook until noodles float to the top, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the water.
- Toss together pasta with ragu, adding reserved water. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I recently discovered pici and have since fallen in love. Pici, also known as “fat spaghetti,” is a type of pasta that is hand-rolled and consists of only flour and water, no egg! I always add semolina to my pasta and this recipe is no different.
Start by making the pasta dough. Slowly add the water to the flour and semolina mixture, mixing until the dough comes together.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. You can do this using a mixer, but for some reason, making it by hand seemed more authentic to me. Hey, if you’re going to make the pasta, might as well go all the way, no?
Once the dough is formed and has rested, divide it in half. Cover one half of the dough while working with the other to prevent it from drying out. Roll the first portion into a rectangle shape about 1/4 inch thick and cut the dough into 1/4 inch wide strips.
Then, take one strand at a time and roll it into a long rope about 1/4 inch thick. The pasta does not expand much once cooked so how it looks once you roll it is how it will be once boiled. Repeat steps with remaining dough.
Like all homemade pasta, this pici will cook in a matter of minutes. Dry pasta usually takes 8-10, but fresh can be ready in only 3-4 minutes. Once the pasta starts to float to the top of the water, it is ready. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water – it will be useful later when finishing the dish!
Because pici is a fat, thick, noodle, it pairs well with richer sauces such as lamb ragu. Prepare the ragu just as you would bolognese, simmering the lamb with earthy spices and red wine.
Whenever you use saffron, you want to bloom the spice in warm water before adding it to the dish. This allows the threads to release its flavor. Simply let the saffron sit in hot water for 1 hour before adding it (the water and saffron) to the sauce with the other spices.
Shortly after, the sauce comes together. Toss the pasta with the sauce and reserved pasta water. The pasta water will help bind the dish together. Top with freshly grated parmesan and dig in! I truly loved every bite of this pasta. The noodles were perfectly al dente, with just the right amount of thickness. Paired with the rich ragu, you really can’t go wrong. Pici with lamb ragu, my new favorite pasta dish!
Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.