Spaghettini With Ground Lamb, Yogurt and Mint

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Mince the garlic (about 3 teaspoons total), reserving about 1 teaspoon; coarsely chop the mint leaves, reserving 1/2 cup. Combine the 2 teaspoons garlic and 1/2 cup of the mint in a medium bowl with the yogurt and Aleppo pepper, stirring to mix well.

Mince the onion (at least 1 cup).

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion, the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and a pinch of salt; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the pine nuts and butter; cook for about 2 minutes, until the nuts begin to turn golden. Remove from the heat and add to the garlic-yogurt mixture, stirring to mix well.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Add one-third of the lamb to the same skillet used to cook the onion and pine nuts; increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the lamb starts to brown, stirring often to break up any large clumps. Add the remaining lamb in 2 batches, moving the cooked meat to the sides of the skillet. Cook both subsequent batches for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisped in spots; the meat should have no traces of pink.

Have a wide shallow bowl at hand.

Partially cover with a skillet lid, then use the skillet lid as a stopper/strainer to carefully drain the fat into the bowl while the lamb is still in the skillet. (When the fat cools, discard.)

Return the skillet to medium heat; add the water to ensure the lamb stays moist and is not crumbly (break up any large clumps that may remain). Season lightly with salt to taste. Remove from the heat, then transfer half to a large serving bowl. Add half of the onion-yogurt mixture, stirring to combine.

Drain the pasta and add to the bowl; toss to combine. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of mint, the remaining lamb and the remaining onion-yogurt mixture; toss to combine, making sure the pasta is well coated. Season with salt to taste and lots of black pepper. Divide among individual plates and serve immediately.

Source: “Washington Post” S(URL): “http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/09/10/spaghettini-gro nd-lamb-yogurt-and-mint/” Copyright: “September 10, 2008” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 941 Calories; 50g Fat (48.4% calories from fat); 43g Protein; 77g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 118mg Cholesterol; 174mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 7 1/2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Serve the dish with fried olives or sliced ripe tomatoes.

NOTES : As it happens, this is the only non-Italian pasta recipe in “Olives & Oranges,” a nice new cookbook of Mediterranean flavors by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox. Fresh mint and cool, tangy yogurt keep company with hot ground lamb, as they do in many Greek dishes.

“It would horrify an Italian, but it works because it’s a good flavor combination,” says Jenkins, who grew up in Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Lebanon and beyond with her foreign-correspondent dad, Loren (now at NPR in Washington), and her now-famous food-authority mom, Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Sara Jenkins has cooked in the kitchens of several New York restaurants and will open her own place, Porchetta, in the East Village in a week or so. Fox, her friend and co-author, is the food editor at La Cucina Italiana magazine.

If some of the same sensibilities in the cookbook make their way to the new restaurant, we’ll be adding Porchetta to our list of places to try. Soon.

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