Conchiglie with lamb and minted yogurt
Instructions:
- PASTA:
- Fine sea salt;
- ½ pound whole wheat pasta shells (conchiglie), or other small whole grain tube-shaped pasta.
- MINTED YOGURT AND BROWNED BUTTER WITH PINE NUTS:
- 1½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt;
- ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped;
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- Fine sea salt;
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter;
- ¼ cup pine nuts.
- LAMB, AND TO FINISH:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds;
- ½ cup minced shallots (about 2 medium);
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt;
- ¾ pound ground lamb;
- ¼ cup water;
- ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped;
- ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or dried red chile flakes;
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt as you see fit and then the pasta, stirring a few times. Return to a boil with the lid on; uncover and cook at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, according to the package directions.
- While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the minted yogurt. Place the yogurt, mint, and garlic in a small bowl and stir to combine; season with salt to taste. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the browned butter with pine nuts. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter emits a nutty aroma and the nuts turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the nuts and butter into a small bowl.
- A few minutes before adding the pasta to the boiling water, prepare the lamb. Add the olive oil to the skillet you used for browning the butter, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they turn fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook until the shallots soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the ground lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up large clumps, until no traces of pink remain and the meat is nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Push the cooked lamb to the sides of the pan, add the remaining lamb to the center, and repeat. Add the water (so the lamb doesn’t dry out) and the mint. Stir in the Aleppo pepper, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; remove from the heat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust; set aside and cover, with the lid slightly askew.
- To finish, drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Pour the minted yogurt over the pasta and toss to combine. Spoon the lamb on top, followed by the browned butter with the pine nuts; toss and serve at once.
- TO LIGHTEN IT UP: Omit the browned butter and toast the pine nuts without any fat. Plus, you can drain (and discard) the fat from the skillet before adding the water at the end of step 4.