Crejoli con Sugo di Agnello
Hand-cut square-section pasta strands from inland Molise tossed in a slow-simmered lamb and tomato ragù, also known locally as crioli con sugo d'agnello.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 640 kcal
Equipment
- •Large wooden pastry board
- •Heavy-based saucepan
- •Rolling pin
- •Chef's knife
- •Large stockpot
- •Colander
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 78 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 640 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mound both flours onto a wooden board and create a wide well in the centre.
- 2
Pour warm water gradually into the well, drawing in flour with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3
Knead the dough vigorously for ten minutes until smooth, firm and elastic.
- 4
Cover the dough with a clean damp cloth and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 5
Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- 6
Add lamb chunks and brown deeply on all sides for eight minutes until rich and caramelised.
- 7
Stir in chopped onion, garlic and crushed chilli, cooking until the onion softens and turns sweet.
- 8
Pour in white wine, scraping up browned bits, and simmer until the liquid reduces by half.
- 9
Add passata, rosemary and salt, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for one hour until the lamb is tender.
- 10
Roll out rested dough to a thick three-millimetre sheet, dust with flour, fold loosely, and slice into thick square-profile strands.
- 11
Cook the fresh crejoli in boiling salted water for three to four minutes until they float and taste tender.
- 12
Drain the pasta, toss directly through the simmering lamb sauce, and serve immediately topped with grated Pecorino Molisano.
Chef's tips
Roll the pasta sheet generously thick, roughly three millimetres, to give crejoli their distinctive square bite. Browning the lamb thoroughly at the beginning creates the deep savoury baseline typical of inland Molisano ragù.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pecorino Molisano → aged Pecorino Romano or Canestrato Pugliese, though slightly saltier
- Lamb shoulder → mutton shoulder or goat for a deeper traditional mountain flavour
Storage
Store leftover ragù and pasta in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a wide skillet over low heat with a few spoonfuls of water until steaming.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the pasta dough too thinly, which robs crioli of their robust, chewy texture.
- •Rushing the lamb ragù, which leaves the meat tough rather than meltingly tender.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Crejoli con Sugo di Agnello?
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