1 (28 oz)can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoescrushed by hand
2bay leaves
2tspsugar
1lb.calamarata pastaor pasta of choice
1cupfrozen peas
Pecorino romanofor serving
Ricottafor serving
Pesto
1cupfresh mint leaves
1cupfresh parsley
2Tbsptoasted pine nuts
1garlic clove smashed
½cupolive oilplus more if needed
¼cupfreshly grated pecorino romano
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Season lamb all over with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat until hot.
Sear lamb on all sides until browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add in onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until very soft and translucent.
Stir in tomato paste and calabrian chilies, and cook until tomato paste browns a bit, about 3 minutes.
Deglaze with wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to get all the brown bits.
Add in tomatoes, bay leaves, and reserved lamb. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring every now and then to prevent scorching, until lamb is tender, about 2-2 ½ hours.
While lamb simmers make the pesto. In a food processor, pulse mint, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil until a coarse paste forms. Add more olive oil if needed.
Add in pecorino cheese and lemon zest and pulse a few times to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once lamb is tender, remove bay leaves. Break up the meat in the pot with a wooden spoon, or remove meat from the sauce, shred with two forks and return to the sauce.
Let sauce simmer on low uncovered for 15 minutes more, just to thicken it up a bit. Stir as needed to prevent burning.
Add in sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep sauce on very low while you boil the pasta.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season heavily with salt.
Boil pasta until al dente. Drain pasta (reserving some water), and add to the pot with the ragu. Stir to coat pasta in sauce, adding splashes of pasta water if needed to make it nice and saucy.
Fold in peas.
Serve topped with pecorino, a dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of pesto and fresh black pepper.