Pasta and lamb rotolo

Prepare the lamb and marinade:
Place the lamb flank in a large non-reactive container with a lid. Mix the wine, dried mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and thyme together for the marinade. Pour
over the meat, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Turn occasionally to ensure that both sides of the meat are marinated. Remove and pat dry, reserve the marinade.

Prepare the ragu:

Set the Instant Pot on the Sauté function. Add the bacon, cook and stir often
until golden and the fat is rendered and the bacon crispy (about 5 minutes).
Remove the bacon from the pot, using a slotted spoon. Place on a piece of paper towel to drain and leave the rendered fat in the pot.

Place the marinated flank pieces in the pot, season and brown the meat, turning occasionally until both sides are browned (about 4 minutes). Do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot and to ensure the meat caramelizes. Transfer meat to a dish and set aside.

Add the onion, carrots and leek to the pot and sauté the vegetables until soft
(about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste, stir until the paste sticks to the base
of the pot (1-2 minutes). Add the reserved marinade, meat and 2 cups of
lamb/chicken stock and bring to the boil. Secure lid and move vent up to sealing position. Select Meat/Stew function set timer to 30 minutes.

Allow manual release for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the Sealing vent
down to release any remaining steam. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and
place in a bowl. Let the meat rest and cool down. Strain the liquid into a jug.

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and reduce the liquid to a sauce for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile remove the skin and sinews from the meat and shred the meat.

Add the shredded meat to the reserved vegetables, half of the bacon and half of
the pecorino cheese. Season and stir to combine. Add half of the reduced sauce
to the meat, season and stir to combine. The mixture should be thick, reserve
the remaining sauce.

Prepare the pasta dough:
Place the flour in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add
yolks and egg and 80 ml warm water. 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 20 minutes).

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 and 12 mm wide and 85 cm long. Place
the pasta sheets on a floured surface and cover with a cloth until ready to use.
Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have 6 sheets in total.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add 2 teaspoons of salt. Blanch 1 sheet of pasta at a time for 30 seconds. Refresh the pasta in ice water and drain on a clean tea towel.

Place the cooked pasta sheets overlapping to form a 45cm by 50 cm rectangle. Spread the ragu over the pasta leaving a border of 3 cm. Roll into a log and wrap in a tea towel. Rest in the refrigerator for an hour.

Prepare the lamb broth:

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté add the onion and cook until soft, add the lamb
bones and meat offcuts and brown the meat and bones until well caramelized
(about 15 minutes). Remove the bones and meat from the pot. Add the stock/ reserved from the ragu.

Add the marsala and reduce by three quarters. Season to taste. Set the lamb
broth aside.

Preheat the Instant Vortex Plus VersaZone air Fryer. Select the Bake
program and adjust the time setting to 15 minutes.

Unwrap the rotolo and trim off the ends. Cut into 10-14 slices of 4 cm thick.
Use a rectangular baking dish that will fit into the air fryer when using the
large single zone. Spray the dish with a cooking spray or olive oil.

Place the slices cut side up, overlapping slightly, in the baking dish with
some of the reduced lamb broth and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place
the bunches of grapes in between the rotolo and bake for 15 minutes in the
preheated air fryer until the rotolo is golden and the grapes are soft and
blistered (about 15 minutes).

Serve the baked rotolo with crisply fried sage, grated pecorino and the
remaining reduced lamb broth. Accompany the pasta dish with a fresh
seasonal salad and crusty bread.

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