Spicy Ragu Moussaka Recipes

MOUSSAKA: EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant. Spread the eggplant slices in one layer and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes to "sweat out" its bitterness.
• Turn the broiler of your oven on.
• Prepare a large sheet pan or two and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Pat the eggplant slices dry, removing excess salt, and assemble in one layer on the prepared pan. Brush generously with olive oil.
• Place the sheet pan about 6 inches away from the broiler. Broil the eggplant briefly, turning over so that both sides are softened and golden brown (do not worry if parts of the eggplant are slightly charred, but watch carefully so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Prepare the meat sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Cook the onions on medium heat until they turn slightly golden brown, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Now add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until fully browned, tossing regularly. Drain the lamb from any excess fat and return to the skillet. Add the dried oregano, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and hot paprika. Stir to coat the meat with the spices. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute to reduce. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar, and broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and work on the bechamel.
• Make the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs. Then return all to the pan and stir into the bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more. (You should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce.)
• Assemble the moussaka. When ready, lightly oil a 9 ½" x 13" oven-safe baking dish. Layer half the eggplant slices on the bottom. Add the meat sauce and spread well. Add the remaining eggplant slices. Pour the bechamel on top and spread to cover all the eggplant, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs.
• Bake. Bake the moussaka casserole on the center rack of the heated oven for 45 minutes. If you need to, transfer the baking pan to the top rack and broil briefly so that the top of the moussaka gains a nice golden brown color (watch carefully).
• Remove from the heat and let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before cutting through into squares to serve. Enjoy!

SPICY SAUSAGE RAGU

Steps:

• Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Stir in white wine and cook until the wine has nearly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in heavy cream, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in marinara sauce and water and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for 1 hour.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne, and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Combine pasta and sauce; remove from heat, cover and let sit for about 2 minutes.
• Serve pasta and sauce topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

SPICY LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil (2 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lamb, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper and cook, breaking the meat into crumbles as it browns. Add the rosemary, thyme, onions, carrots, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, orange zest strip and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the milk and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, to let the meat absorb the milk, about 15 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, partially cover, and continue to cook and reduce for 15 minutes. Add the stock and olives. Hand crush the tomatoes into the pot, then add the juices from the can. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes more to cook down the tomatoes and thicken the sauce. Fish out and discard the orange zest strip, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Adjust the seasoning.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Keep warm.
• Mix the mint, parsley, pistachios and some grated orange zest together in a small bowl.
• Toss the ragu, reserved cooking water, pecorino, olive oil and cooked pasta together. Serve in bowls topped with fresh ricotta and sprinkle the herb-pistachio mixture over the top to garnish.

LINGUINE WITH SPICY MUSHROOM RAGU

Steps:

• Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a stockpot.
• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until brown and juicy, about 10 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, rosemary, and salt, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. If the sauce begins to splatter during cooking, lower the heat to medium-low. Keep the sauce warm while cooking the linguine.
• Drop the linguine into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Taste one along the way to avoid overcooking it. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot. Pour on the sauce and toss. Serve with a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

QUICK LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
• Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.

SPICY RAGU MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220degrees Celsius.
• Slice the eggplants in 2cm thick slices.
• Coat each slice using the 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• Lay the slices on a tray and add salt and pepper.
• Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside. Turn oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Meanwhile, chop the onions and garlic finely.
• Peel and slice the carrots into discs.
• Heat some olive oil in a heavy based pan.
• Fry the onions and garlic til translucent.
• Add the lamb and brown.
• Add the cinnamon, cardamom powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and paprika and coat the lamb pieces.
• Add the jar of passata and the red wine and bring to boil.
• Add the carrots.
• Add the bayleaf and parsley.
• Simmer on a very low heat for several hours until the lamb is very tender and falls apart in the stew. Keep checking regularly, stirring, and adding water if necessary. (The end result has to be a thick stew).
• To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Add the flour and stirfry for a minute or two.
• Remove from heat and slowly stir in milk.
• Add all the cheese and return to heat.
• Slowly heat until thickened.
• Add the egg, cook for a further few minutes.
• Add the nutmeg and some salt and pepper to taste and then remove from heat.
• To assemble the dish, pour the ragu into the bottom of a casserole dish.
• Add the slices of eggplant as the next layer.
• Pour white sauce over the eggplant.
• Sprinkle breadcrumbs over white sauce.
• Add knobs of butter on breadcrumbs if you like.
• Bake for about 40 minutes.
• Let stand for 15 minutes then serve.