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As a general rule, I am not fond of lamb and thick pasta but this has made me a fan of both! I started off with a diced red pepper and lamb spaghetti with olive oil in mind but Chris objected to the diced red pepper and spaghetti. With his meddling this turned out amazing but I refuse to give him full credit! You may notice that the seasoning for the lamb is stolen from the moussaka recipe. Special thanks to Araceli for the blended red bell pepper idea.
4 servings or 3 Chris and Ying servings
- 1/2 pound linguini
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- 1 lb lamb shoulder with bones
- 1/2 tsp all-spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp masala wine/red wine
- 2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion,diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or parsely, chopped
- crushed red pepper for serving
- Cook the linguini according to the directions on the package.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan and saute the onions, garlic and red bell pepper over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Puree the mixture with a little water and leave aside.
- Slice the lamb thinly, saving the bones. Season the sliced lamb with the all-spice, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, chilli powder and salt.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saute pan and brown the lamb bones before adding the chopped tomatoes. Saute for an additional 5 minutes then return the pureed bell pepper mixture to the saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes before adding the milk then simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a large saute pan (everything is going to get in here!) and brown the lamb slices for about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the masala/ red wine, stir in the pureed bell pepper-milk sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes. Toss in the cooked pasta, basil or parsley and Parmigiana-Reggiano. Salt to taste. You can remove the bones but someone might enjoy them!
- Serve with crushed red pepper and extra Parmigiana-Reggiano if desired.
This is also good chilled, for a nice lunch-box meal!
I first tasted this dish in a Mediterranean restaurant, Baklava. The spiced lamb tastes exactly like the A&W coney dog which has sadly disappeared from Singapore. If anyone knows where to get an A&W coney dog in the bay area, let me know! This version of moussaka is further from the “coney dog” flavor than Baklava’s but Im working on it! In the meantime, this work-in-progress recipe is still pretty good!If you have a large family or if you dont mind eating the same dish for several meals, feel free to double this rather time intensive recipe!
4servings
- 1 lb minced lamb
- 2 roma tomatoes,sliced thinly
- 1 large eggplant, sliced thinly
- 1 medium onion,diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups hot milk
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp butter
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- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 10 to 20 leaves fresh sweet/italian basil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 3/8 cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt to taste
- Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices and soak in cold water for at least 10 minutes to draw out the bitter juices. Drain the eggplant slices well.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan and brown the onions and lamb. If your pan is small, you may need to do this in two batches.
- Add the all spice, cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt and tomato sauce to the lamb and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Leave to cool, then stir in 1/8 cup of breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and basil leaves .
- Melt the butter in a sauce pan and fry the flour till brown and a nutty flavor develops. Whisk in the hot milk slowly. Pour a little of the milk mixture into the egg yolk, stir well and return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Stir till the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, then stir in the feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. In a baking dish, layer the lamb mixture, eggplants, tomatoes and remaining breadcrumbs. Start with the lamb and end with the eggplants, allowing for two layers each. Top with the roux and cheese mixture and bake for 45 minutes.
The butter can be replaced by vegetable oil but the flavor will be compromised. Trust me, I tried it.
If feta cheese is too strong for you (as it is for me), substitute with ricotta.
The baked moussaka can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and reheated in the microwave for about 3 minutes and then in the oven for 20 minutes, making this a good Monday dinner to prepare on Sunday!
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