Trofie with lamb ragu and wild garlic

Serves 4

Trofie with lamb ragu and wild garlic (Jason Lowe)

Trofie are delicious little pointed pasta twists that are traditionally served with pesto in the Ligurian region of Italy. If you can't find trofie then a similar shaped pasta will do, or you could even use spaghetti.

1tbsp corn or vegetable oil
250-300g coarsely-minced neck or shoulder of lamb
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1tbsp fresh oregano or thyme
1tbsp plain flour
100ml red wine
1x 200g can of chopped tomatoes
500ml chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 servings of trofie pasta
A couple of good knobs of butter
A couple of handfuls of wild garlic leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and then fry the minced neck or shoulder of lamb on a high heat for a few minutes until lightly coloured.

Add the onions, garlic and oregano and continue cooking the sauce for another 2-3 mins.

Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, then slowly stir in the wine, tinned tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, season and simmer gently with a lid on for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid to check the meat is tender; if not, continue simmering until it is and the sauce is thick enough to coat the pasta, but not stodgy.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to manufacturer's instructions. When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a pan and stir the wild garlic leaves for a minute, until wilted.

Drain the pasta, toss it in a little butter and then serve it with the lamb ragu spooned on top, with the wild garlic scattered over – serve the Parmesan separately.