Lamb shank pappardelle

Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Cook shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. 

Add rosemary, carrots, onions, celery and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add red wine on high heat and reduce by half.

Add tomato puree, mix everything.

Bring to a boil, cover, and cook in the oven at 325F for at least 2 hours, until the meat is fall off the bone tender.

Make the pasta dough.

Mix the two flours and put them on a counter or working surface and make a well.

Break the eggs into the well with a fork, whisk them, then gradually mix with the flours until a ball is formed. Knead by hand.

Flour the surface. Push the dough away from you with the palm of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it counterclockwise.

Continue pushing, folding, and turning until the dough is smooth and elastic, 15 to 20 minutes.

Wrap in plastic and let the dough rest for at least one hour.

Roll out the dough. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Dust with some flour if dough sticks to rolling pin. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom.

Cut the pappardelle. Dust the top of the sheet of dough with semolina flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch to 1 inch-wide slices.

Unwrap the noodles; dust with more semolina to prevent from sticking and gently toss to separate.

Place on a sheet pan and cover with a kitchen towel until ready to cook.

Take the lamb out of the oven. The meat should be so tender that you can separate it from the bone just with a fork. Remove all the meat from the bone and keep the sauce warm while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pappardelle, one piece at the time so it doesn’t stick. Pasta will float soon, cook for 2 minutes more than transfer into the lamb sauce.

Turn the heat on high and add a generous ladle of pasta water with a drizzle of olive oil. The starch from the pasta water will thicken up the sauce to a perfect consistency. Toss the pasta around in the sauce and cook for a few minutes so the pasta can absorb this incredibly delicious sauce. Add some fresh parsley.

Plate in your most beautiful pasta bowls and grate a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano. Buon appetito!