THE FLAVOURS OF a Mediterranean island

Mafaldine with lamb and minted sweet-sour squash

Mafaldine con agnello e zucca all’agrodolce alla menta

▶ SERVES 4 ▶ PREPARATION 15 minutes ▶ COOKING 30 minutes

Usually, sweet-sour squash (zucca all’agrodolce) is eaten as a starter, side dish, piatto unico, or intermezzo. But this combination with lamb and pasta just floated into my head one day. The result is a really attractive, well-balanced dish. The fresh mint in the squash also complements the lamb fabulously.

FOR THE LAMB AND PASTA

• 320g lamb, from the leg or neck
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 70ml medium dry red wine
• 25g tomato purée
• 240g canned chopped tomatoes
• 200g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 3 parsley sprigs, chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• 320g mafaldine, or tagliatelle
• coarse sea salt
• 4 heaped tbsp finely grated pecorino cheese

FOR THE SQUASH

• 600g squash
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 80g black olives (about 20)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped,• • •