Cazini with Lamb Ragu

Half-moon shaped pasta filled with a slightly sweet ricotta mixture lightly flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg. The cooked pasta is served with a lamb ragu made with minced lamb, fresh herbs and grated pecorino cheese.

Styled by @caroalberts
Developed by @g_loves_red
Photos by @michelleparkinphotography
In collaboration with @cooking_with_lamb

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes 
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes

Ingredients
Pasta Dough

200g Bread flour
100g Semolina, fine
3 large Eggs
1 teaspoon Olive oil

Filling
250g Ricotta
2 tablespoons Pecorino
1 tablespoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 large Egg
¼ teaspoon Salt

Lamb Ragu
3 tablespoons Olive oil divided
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 sprig Fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon Fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh rosemary, finely minced
½ teaspoon Red chili, crushed and finely ground
1 medium Onion, peeled and grated
2 stalks Celery, finely chopped
1 medium Carrot, finely grated
500g Lamb mince
½  teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
¾ cup Red wine
2 cups Tinned tomato, coarsely crushed
2 cups Lamb / chicken stock

Method
Prepare the pasta dough:
1. Place the flour and semolina in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the eggs and olive oil.  Mix on medium speed until combined (about 2 minutes).
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3 minutes). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest (about 30 minutes).
Prepare the pasta filling:
3.  Press the ricotta through a fine sieve using a spatula. Combine the ricotta, pecorino, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg and season with salt.
4.  Mix well and place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Refrigerate until required.

Prepare the lamb ragu:
5.  Set the Instant Pot on the Sauté function. Add the olive oil and when the oil is hot add the garlic, marjoram, sage, rosemary and chili. Cook for a minute, then add the onion, celery, carrot and cook and stock to the lamb stirring occasionally until softened about 10 minutes.
Add the lamb mince and break it up into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until no pink remains about 5 minutes. Add the wine, deglaze the pot and make sure all the bits on the surface of the pot have been loosened.
7. Add the tomatoes and stock and allow the ragu to cook down on the Sauté setting for about 6-8 minutes until it has reduced. Close the Instapot and move the vent up to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure cook on High and set it for 35 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) which takes about 20 minutes, and the pressure valve has dropped.
Prepare the cazini:
To roll the pasta, divide the dough into thirds and taking one piece at a time, feed and roll through a pasta machine on the widest setting until the dough is smooth and silky (about 10 times). Then fold and roll, reducing the setting notch by notch until the dough is 5mm thick. Place the pasta sheets on a floured surface and cover with a cloth until ready to use. Repeat with the remaining
dough.
10. Use a 7cm cookie cutter and cut out rounds as close to one another as possible. Pipe 1 teaspoon size balls of filling into the center of each round, spritz the edges of each pasta round very lightly with water from a spray bottle, or use a small pastry brush and moisten the edges of the pasta. Fold one side of each round over the filling to cover.  Press the edges down firmly to seal the half-moon shaped cazini.
11. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt.  Gently add the cazini to the boiling water and stir immediately. Cook until the pasta floats to the top and is al dente, about 1 ½ -2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.  Add pecorino and ragu, toss gently.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water if needed to thin down the sauce. Garnish with more pecorino and micro herbs and serve.