Slow Cooker Rosemary Merino Ragu with Fresh Whole-Egg Pappardelle

Nothing beats a tomato-base pasta where all the flavours have truly had the time to mingle and become something extraordinary. This recipe is a no-brainer for winter and ticks all the comfort goals we strive for in the colder months of the year. This is a great one for leftovers.

SERVES 6–8 PREP 10 mins COOKING 4–8 hours

1 2 1 1 carrot brown bunch sticks of parsley, onion celery leaves picked and

4 garlic finely cloves, chopped, finely stalks chopped reserved

2 tbsp tomato paste

¼ tsp each ground cinnamon,

nutmeg and dried oregano

4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked

1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil

600 g Merino topside, cut into 3 cm

pieces

½ cup (125 ml) red wine

1 x 400 g can whole tomatoes

680 g passata

1 cup (250 ml) milk

50 g butter

Parmesan shavings to serve (if you

have the skin of the Parmesan add

it to the ragu as it cooks overnight

for extra flavour)

FRESH PAPPARDELLE

(This is a luxury, so you can sub with store-bought)

400 g flour

4 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp tomato paste

Place carrot, celery, onion, parsley stalks, garlic cloves, tomato paste, spices, herbs and half the oil in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Transfer to a slow cooker set to high. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes or until softened slightly. Meanwhile heat remaining oil in a frypan over high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until golden brown and sealed on all sides.

Add to slow cooker along with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or overnight, or on high for 4 hours. To make the pasta dough, spoon flour on a clean workbench to create a mound. Make a well in the centre and add the remaining ingredients. Use a fork to whisk and slowly combine wet ingredients into the flour until the mixture is roughly combined. Then use your hands and knead the dough for 5 minutes or until a smooth ball forms. Split into two then wet hands and use to smooth out the edges. Wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

The next day, use a wooden spoon to mix ragu, breaking up the larger pieces of lamb as you go, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the pasta dough on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into 1 cm thick pieces. Pass through the thickest setting of your pasta machine. Place on a workbench and bring the bottom to the centre of the dough and bring the top down and over that. Roll out once more with a rolling pin and pass again through the pasta machine, repeat this once more or until you can see the pasta is smooth and shiny. Then run through the machine to the secondthinnest setting. Lightly dust pasta with flour and fold in half. Use a sharp knife to cut into long 3 cm thick strips. If you don’t have a pasta machine, cut the dough into small pieces and roll out as thick as you can with a rolling pin then cut into rough strips. It will still be just as good! Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add pasta and cook for 1–2 minutes or until it has risen to the top and cooked through. Drain and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon over ragu, scatter with parsley.