8 people
DINNER
Ina Garten Modern Comfort (p. 134)
Ground lamb - 1 lb
Yellow onions - 1
Carrots - 3
Fennel - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Fennel seeds - 1 tbl
Tomato paste - 2 tbl
Crushed tomatoes (can) - 28 oz
Dried oregano - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1⁄4 tsp
Rigatoni pasta - 1 lb
Red wine - 2 1⁄2 cups
Eggs - 2
Heavy cream - 2⁄3 cup
Mozzarella - 1 lb
Parmesan cheese - 2 oz
Yellow onion - chop to yield 1 1/2 cups
Carrots - dice to yield 2 cups
Fennel - remove core and dice to yield 2 cups
Garlic - mince to yield 1 tbl
Fennel seeds - chop
Parmesan cheese - grate
Heat 3 tbl of olive oil in a a medium, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and fennel and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the lamb, garlic, fennel seeds and cook for 8 minutes, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, 2 cups of the wine, the oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tbl salt and 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer partly covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1⁄2 cup of red wine.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tbl salt and the rigatoni and cook according to the directions on the package, until barely al dente. Drain.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the rigatoni and toss well. Grate half of the mozzarella on a box grater and add it to the rigatoni mixture. Add the lamb mixture, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and toss well. Transfer to a 10 x 14 x 2-inch baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Slice the remaining mozzarella into rounds and arrange on top of the pasta. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the sauce is hot and bubbling and some of the pasta is crusty on top.