Farfalle with Lamb Ragu, Ricotta, and Mint

27 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Prep Time
40 Mins
Yield
4 servings
By Laraine Perri
March 2010
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

A classic flavor combination, lamb and mint meet bow-tie pasta for a hearty weeknight meal.

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces lean ground lamb
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 8 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup small fresh mint leaves

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 464
  • Fat 16.9g
  • Satfat 5.9g
  • Monofat 7.6g
  • Polyfat 1.5g
  • Protein 23.9g
  • Carbohydrate 54.7g
  • Fiber 4.5g
  • Cholesterol 51mg
  • Iron 4.8mg
  • Sodium 629mg
  • Calcium 157mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Discard drippings from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 2 teaspoons oil, onion, and carrot; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rosemary and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Step 2

Return lamb to pan; add wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook for 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and broth; bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3

While sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return pasta to pan. Stir in 1 cup sauce and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Spoon 1 cup pasta mixture onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3/4 cup remaining sauce, 2 tablespoons ricotta, and 1 tablespoon mint.

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Ratings & Reviews

Served with Tossed Greens and Crusty Garlic Toast

Saecca
February 12, 2016
I made this last night, with a few modifications.  I added a stalk of diced celery and 2 tbsp of tomato paste with the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs.  I also added about 2 tsps of chopped kalamata olives before deglazing with the wine, then added the tomatoes and broth. I also added about 3 tbsp of ricotta to the mix and let it simmer for about an hour before serving over penne.  By roasting the tomato paste with the meat, herbs and veggies it created a deeper, hearty dish, adding the ricotta to the sauce it made a rich, creamy flavor that was very delicious!  Omitted the mint since the kalamata olives changed the course of the dish.

Hearty and flavorful

mangiapeach
October 03, 2015
I don't bother wiping out the fat remaining in the pan after browning the lamb, I just use it for the onion and carrot and then omit the remaining 3 teaspoons of olive oil.  The ricotta and mint are a nice touch.  We don't have this too often as my teen isn't a huge fan of ground lamb, but one could easily substitute beef.  Served along with a tossed green side salad.  Very filling.

JeanV4's Review

ms3342
April 14, 2014
Very tasty dish. Love the ricotta and mint. I added a little more garlic and rosemary to add flavor. Worth the time it takes to make.

portland's Review

Arilya
March 06, 2014
this was an easy recipe, but the flavor was disappointing. i think this was due to only ten minutes of cooking. flavors were bright, but no depth. i did like the ricotta, nice touch, along with the mint.

claret's Review

Laurie18
February 28, 2014
Liked this a lot, though I agree that some advance prepping of carrots is needed. One question: HOW COME RECIPES IN FEBRUARY CALL FOR FRESH MINT? I live in Baltimore. In my front and back yards I have incredible amounts of fresh mint during warm months--it's actually a delicious but invasive weed --but in February? Do people north of the Carolinas buy it in a supermarket? To me that would be like buying dandelions.

TerryShea's Review

kvluv2cook
February 28, 2014
N/A

bellymama's Review

claret
July 01, 2013
My husband and I love this recipe, although the kids aren't thrilled with it. Just add a green veggie and you have a special weeknight dinner.

thays315's Review

culinaryclique
February 20, 2013
I was so looking forward to loving this dish but it was bland and boring. I made it exactly as called for in the recipe. We couldn't even tell it was lamb in the dish.

seaside725's Review

Meremaid
February 12, 2012
Great weeknight dish. It was easy to prepare and very tasty. I love anything that ends with ricotta. I also would double it, as it just feed four of us. My sons and husband would have ate more if there were more to eat.

Beckydoll's Review

JerseyDevil
May 15, 2011
Doubling the recipe next time so that i will have leftovers (hopefully!) to take for lunch. While I'm not the biggest fan of lamb, I really really loved this, the ricotta and mint made this dish!