07/04/2026
How to Make Papardelle w/ Ragu Bianco 🐑🌱🫛
FULL RECIPE BELOW ⬇️
(feeds 4 people)
INGREDIENTS:
(SAUCE):
2 x 375g packs ground lamb
1L beef/veal stock
250mL white wine
250mL whole milk
100mL heavy whipping cream
50g grated Parmesan cheese
½ head fennel
1 yellow onion
2 stalks celery
3 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil (grapeseed)
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
¼ bunch parsley leaves
½ cup blanched peas
½ cup blanched & double-shucked fava beans
fine kosher/sea salt (to taste)
freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
(PAPARDELLE):
4 whole large eggs (180g)
1 egg yolk (20g)
400g 00 flour
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Peel & finely dice your onion and garlic. Finely dice your celery and the white part of your fennel. Set aside for the moment.
2) Pre-heat a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add 2 tbsp oil. Add your ground lamb to the pot, and break it into 1-2cm large chunks (do not crush it further - as the larger chunks are easier to brown!). Season with a generous pinch of salt. Once each chunk of lamb is nicely browned, you can break the lamb down into smaller pieces, and continue to brown the meat until you see even colour, and there is no more steam/moisture leaving the meat. Turn the heat on your pot down to low, and use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the meat from the pot.
3) Keeping all excess fat in the pot, add your fennel, onion, celery and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until everything is lightly caramelized. Add your white wine to deglaze, and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add your ground lamb back to the pot, and cover with stock and milk. Bring everything to a simmer, and add your thyme and bay leaves. Cover the pot with a lid, and simmer over very low heat for 2-3 hours, or until your lamb is tender with very little chew. Check your pot every 45 minutes to see if more liquid needs to be added to prevent scorching.
4) While your ragu is cooking, make your papardelle. On a clean work surface, make a mound with your flour, and create a large well in the middle. Add your eggs/yolks into the well, and beat them with a fork until homogeneous. Start incorporating flour into your eggs, continuing to stir with your fork. Once your eggs have the consistency of wet scrambled eggs, you can start to add more flour into the mix using a bench scraper, and “chop” the flour into your eggs. Continue to do this until all the flour is incorporated into the eggs. From here, you can bring your dough into the shape of a ball using your hands.
5) Once your flour and eggs are fully combined into a workable ball of dough, knead your dough for 5-10 minutes, or until your dough is smooth, and springy to the touch. Wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you leave your dough in the fridge for longer than an hour, be sure to temper it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling your pasta.
6) Cut your ball of dough into 4 equal pieces. Keep 3 of the pieces under a towel while you start rolling your pasta. Using a rolling pin, roll out your first piece of dough until it is thin enough to fit in your pasta roller on the thickest setting. Be sure to add an extra dusting of flour as needed while rolling your pasta. Continue passing your pasta through the machine until it reaches the second thinnest setting, then fold the sheet over onto itself until it is approximately the same width of the machine. Once again, add a dusting of flour, and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it will fit in the machine. Now pass the dough through the machine until it is at the thinnest setting.
7) From here, cut your sheet of pasta into smaller sheets about a foot long. Fold the sheet over onto itself 1” at a time, then cut the roll into noodles about 1” wide. When you unravel the noodles, you will have your papardelle! Dry out your noodles at room temperature, laid flat on a sheet tray for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
8)To finish your ragu, add your heavy cream, and freshly grated Parmesan. You can also add your peas and favas. Cook your pasta for 4-6 minutes, or until al dente, and add them to your ragu with a little excess pasta water. Finish with freshly chopped parsley when tossing your pasta, as well as a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese to finish. Enjoy!
