Shepherd’s Pie Culurgiones
The shepherd's pie is a humble and hearty dish that is a time-honored tradition in England. It represents the entirety of the agricultural industry of old, and fed farm workers and city dwellers for decades. Freshly picked vegetables & lamb braised until silky tender, with a covering of creamy mashed potatoes and cheese. Veg, meat, carbs, and cheese, what else is there to desire? The potatoes are the key though, and why culurgiones are a perfect vessel to translate into a shepherd's pie pasta.
Culurgiones originate in East Sardinia, and aside from having a beautifully unique shape and folding pattern to them, the default setting is to fill them with mashed potato. So it’s a no-brainer to mix these with a sauce made from shepherd's pie filling. What’s left is a dish that balances gamey lamb meat with sweet braised vegetables. The salt from the cheese in the potatoes highlights each and every ingredient in a way that can transport you to the Cotswolds or Cagliari in a single bite.
The Recipe
Difficulty: Hard
Prep. time: 45 min.
Cook time: 20 min.
Serves: 4
Special Equipment
Pasta machine or Kitchen-Aid attachment
Potato masher/ricer
3” circular cookie cutter
Notes
N/A
Ingredients
16 oz. fresh pasta dough - see below if needed
1½ lbs. yellow potatoes - peeled and cut into 1” pieces
½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 lb. ground lamb meat
2 carrots - diced
1 yellow onion - diced
3 cups peas
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
Parmigiano Reggiano (for grating)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Fresh pasta dough
1 cup ’00’ tipo flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Making the Pasta
01.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flours and the salt. Place the flour mixture onto a clean flat working surface and create a well in the center. In a small mixing bowl crack the eggs and beat until uniform. Pour the eggs and olive oil into the well of flour. Using a fork carefully mix the flour into the center, mixing the egg and flour. When mixed enough, switch to using hands and knead for at least 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
02.
Bring a small saucepan filled with salted water to a boil. Place the potatoes in the water and cook until tender. Remove from heat, strain, and return to the saucepan. Add in butter, heavy cream, and Pecorino Romano. Using a hand masher, mash until a thick but creamy consistency. It shouldn’t be the consistency of the finest French whipped mash, it should be fairly rustic. Season with salt to taste and set aside or in the refrigerator to cool.
03.
Remove the pasta dough from the fridge and divide it into 4 pieces. On a flour-dusted surface, divide the dough out until about ¼” thick. Then sheet the pasta out. Starting at the highest setting - put through the pasta machine - fold into thirds, and then put through the machine again with the folds facing perpendicular to the rollers. Repeat one more time. Next, run the dough through the machine at each setting until the number to the second or third thinnest available.
04.
Using the three-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible from a single sheet. One sheet should yield about 6-7 culurgiones. Shape 1 tablespoon of mashed potato into a 1” thick cylinder and place in the center of each circle. Take one “corner” of the pasta fold it onto the potato mixture, and then take the corner from the same side and fold it onto the other fold. Repeat this process, going back and forth until all of the filling has been encased pinching the last little piece to seal. Repeat the process 3 more times to finish all the dough. Place in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Enjoy any extra filling with a giant spoon and some flaky sea salt.
Finishing the Dish
01.
In a large deep sauté pan over medium high heat bring 1 tablespoon of olive oil to temperature. Add in the carrots and onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Place the ground lamb into the pan and break up big pieces with a spoon. Once the meat begins to brown, add in red wine, broth, peas, and tomato paste. Stir to mix the tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the pan has reached a simmer, stir in the thyme, and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook for at least 30 minutes.
02.
Bring a large stockpot of heavily salted water to a boil.
03.
Carefully add each culurgiones to the pot of boiling and stir to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to each other. Cook for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove each culurgiones and add to the shepherds pie mix. Add in a ladle or two of pasta water if the sauce has thickened too much.
04.
Divide the pasta into 4 portions and smother with the remaining sauce. Cover with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and any additional fresh thyme.