Silk Road-style lamb and cumin pasta

20 MINUTES + MARINATING SERVES 4 | EASY

I know this sounds like a weird combination to be thrown over pasta and it may seem like it’s cumin-heavy (which it is), but it really works, and I have won over quite a few sceptics with this recipe, mostly because it’s actually very delicious and satisfying.

lamb leg steaks 500g

garlic powder 1 tbsp

cumin seeds 2 tbsp, toasted and ground

dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp

ground cinnamon 1 tsp

ground coriander 1 tsp

olive oil 3 tbsp

toasted sesame oil 1 tsp

light soy sauce 4 tbsp or more to taste

rice vinegar 1 tsp

tagliatelle 250g

butter 50g

• Put the lamb steaks between two layers of baking paper and bash the meat with a meat tenderiser or a rolling pin to flatten and tenderise the meat. Discard the baking paper and thinly slice the lamb into 5mmthick strips. Put in a bowl and add the garlic powder, spices, oils, soy sauce, vinegar and a generous amount of salt and pepper, and mix together well. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

• Cook the tagliatelle in a large pan of salted, boiling water following pack instructions, then drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the lamb along with the marinade and cook for a few minutes until seared all over, but avoid stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat to ensure the meat stays slightly rare and tender. Add the butter and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or soy sauce to taste. Add the cooked pasta together with two to three ladles of the reserved pasta water and mix well with tongs, adding more of the cooking water to the pasta to loosen, if you like. Serve immediately, no accompaniment needed.

PER SERVING 598 KCALS | FAT 34.1G SATURATES 12.7G | CARBS 39.1G | SUGARS 3.3G FIBRE 4.5G | PROTEIN 31.4G | SALT 2.5G