Fusilli pasta with ground lamb and spinach simmered with tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and a touch of cayenne pepper. This one-pan pasta comes together in no time, and it is Somali-inspired comfort food. The secret is the flavor of browning the ground lamb before the onion goes in, that deep browning gives a rich, savory base that carries the spices.
Print
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound 16 oz fusilli
- 1 pound 16 oz ground lamb
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons seasoning powder
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, add the oil when the moisture cooks down keep stirring it until it brown and caramelized.
- Add the onion and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens and the paste darkens slightly.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they break down and become saucy.
- Stir in the seasoning powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne and garlic . Cook for a minute so the spices release their aroma.
- Add the spinach and stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for a few minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors come together.
- Meanwhile, cook the fusilli according to the package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated.
- If it seems dry, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Taste, adjust the salt, pepper, and heat, and serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t rush the lamb. Let it sit undisturbed for a minute or two between stirs so it browns instead of steaming.
- Squeeze the spinach dry. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water, and squeezing it keeps the sauce rich instead of watery.
- Start the pasta water early. Put the pot on to boil when you start browning the lamb so both are ready together.
- Save some pasta water. The starch helps the sauce cling to the fusilli.
- Adjust the heat. Start with less cayenne if you’re serving children or guests who prefer mild food, and add more at the end.
- Spoon off excess fat. If the lamb releases a lot of fat, drain some before adding the onion.
- Make it a meal. Serve with a simple cucumber and tomato salad and a squeeze of lemon to balance the richness.
- Storing leftovers. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
raph –>
