Francesco Mazzei’s cavatelli pasta and Welsh Lamb ragout with pecorino, ‘nduja and mint

For the cavatelli

Method

Chop the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and the rosemary and sweat them in a sauté pan with some olive oil.
In the meantime, separately pan-fry the lamb mince with some olive oil. When cooked, drain the fat and transfer the lamb into the pan with the vegetables.
Add the ‘nduja to the vegetable and lamb mixture, season with salt and fry for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Stir in the tomato paste, pour in the chicken stock and let it simmer until the stock has almost reduced completely. Adjust with salt and pepper if necessary.
To make the pasta, place the semolina flour in a bowl and pour in the hot water. Start mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon then transfer on a worktop and knead by hand until smooth. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for about half an hour.
Once rested, cut the dough into eight pieces and roll out each piece to the size of a little finger. Cut the fingers into pieces of 2-3cm in length and, using your fingertips, roll each piece into a gnocchi style shape. Leave to dry for about 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the fresh pasta for about four minutes, drain and season with the ragout mixture. Finish with chopped mint and grated cheese.