Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Lamb
Season: Fall
Difficulty: Easy but long cooking time
This is a wonderful fall dish inspired by the cooking of
Apulia in Italy. The combination of lamb and escarole is much
loved in Apulia. 
The escarole is boiled first to reduce the
amount of bitterness. It's important to
use lamb shoulder rather than lamb leg because shoulder takes longer to cook
and as it is cooked with the hard pumpkin they will both become tender about
the same time. In place of basil you can
use fresh mint. Farfalle are
butterfly-shaped pasta.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours
2 bunches (about 1 1/2 pounds) escarole, washed well
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 pound pumpkin, diced
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup rosé or white wine
1 pound farfalle
1 cup (3 ounces) freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then cook the escarole until much wilted but still green, about 7 minutes. Drain and chop and set aside until needed.
2. In a large casserole, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the lamb, stirring, until it is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes while stirring. Pour in the wine, reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until the lamb and pumpkin are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly then cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Drain without rinsing.
4. Transfer the pasta to the casserole, increase the heat to medium-high and toss well to mix. Add the pecorino cheese and basil, toss again to mix well, and after 1 minute, serve hot.
Posted: 02/07/2008