Cazini with lamb ragu

Prepare the pasta dough:

Place the flour and semolina in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough
hook. Add the eggs and olive oil. Mix on medium speed until combined (about
2 minutes).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3
minutes). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest
(about 30 minutes).

Prepare the pasta filling:

Press the ricotta through a fine sieve using a spatula. Combine the ricotta,
pecorino, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg and season with salt.
Mix well and place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Refrigerate until
required.

Prepare the lamb ragu:

Set the Instant Pot on the Sauté function. Add the olive oil and when the oil is
hot add the garlic, marjoram, sage, rosemary and chili. Cook for a minute, then
add the onion, celery, carrot and cook and stock to the lamb stirring occasionally
until softened about 10 minutes.

Add the lamb mince and break it up into smaller pieces. Season with salt and
pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until no pink remains about 5 minutes. Add
the wine, deglaze the pot and make sure all the bits on the surface of the pot
have been loosened.

Add the tomatoes and stock and allow the ragu to cook down on the Sauté
setting for about 6-8 minutes until it has reduced. Close the Instapot and move
the vent up to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure cook on High
and set it for 35 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow a Natural
Pressure Release (NPR) which takes about 20 minutes, and the pressure valve
has dropped.

Prepare the cazini:

To roll the pasta, divide the dough into thirds and taking one piece at a time,
feed and roll through a pasta machine on the widest setting until the dough is
smooth and silky (about 10 times). Then fold and roll, reducing the setting notch
by notch until the dough is 5mm thick. Place the pasta sheets on a floured
surface and cover with a cloth until ready to use. Repeat with the remaining
dough.

Use a 7cm cookie cutter and cut out rounds as close to one another as
possible. Pipe 1 teaspoon size balls of filling into the center of each round,
spritz the edges of each pasta round very lightly with water from a spray bottle,
or use a small pastry brush and moisten the edges of the pasta. Fold one side
of each round over the filling to cover. Press the edges down firmly to seal the
half-moon shape cazini.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt. Gently add the cazini to
the boiling water and stir immediately. Cook until the pasta floats to the top and
is al dente, about 1 1⁄2 -2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a serving
bowl. Add pecorino and ragu, toss gently. Add 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water
if needed to thin down the sauce. Garnish with more pecorino and micro herbs
and serve.

Recipe by Gerrie Du Rand. Photos and styling by Michelle Parkin and Caro Alberts.