Pasta with Ground Lamb

Replace the usual red sauce with something rich and meaty. Ground lamb or beef chuck is sautéed with onion and garlic, and then simmered with tomato paste and a bit of cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
12 oz rigatoni or other short pasta
1 lb ground lamb
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup tomato paste
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until 'al dente', about 7-8 minutes; drain, and return to pot. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, cook lamb in a large saucepan over medium-high, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 4-6 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cinnamon, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.

Stir in vinegar, and season again with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pot with pasta, and toss to combine.

Makes 4 servings.