Lamb Ragu Recipe with Middle Eastern Spices, Pine Nuts, Dill and Mint

My lamb ragù recipe will make you a lamb Bolognese with Middle Eastern spices, toasted pine nuts, and perfumed fresh dill and mint. Made with ground lamb instead of the traditional minced beef and pork of an authentic ragù Bolognese, it’s a ‘cheat’s Bolognese’ in that it also doesn’t start with a classic Italian soffritto of sautéed onion, carrot and celery. But it’s still deeply flavoured and aromatic, imbued with Arabic spices and sprinkled with fragrant herbs.

I love Terence’s authentic ragù alla Bolognese. Made to a traditional recipe from Bologna in Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy, it’s rich and flavourful. Terence uses the same ragù in his lasagne alla Bolognese. I’m also fond of Matt Preston’s comforting Italian-Australian spaghetti Bolognese, which reminds me of the ‘spag Bol’ mum made when I was growing up in Sydney in the 1970s. And I really like my speedy cheat’s Bolognese, which I make when I’m tired and time-poor.

But sometimes we just crave something different, right? And when you’re cooking for a pasta-addicted person happy to eat pasta every day and night of the week, as I have been since I’ve been in Australia, there are only so many times you can make the same dishes – even when you adore them. And that’s how this lamb ragù recipe for a Middle Eastern Bolognese came about – and how it became one of my favourite pasta recipes.

If you’re a fan of Arabic food, you’ll love my Middle Eastern spin on Italy’s ragù Bolognese, which I’ve infused with the flavours of the Middle East – a region Terence and I lived, worked, travelled, and wrote on for almost a decade. I’ve spiced up my quick and easy ragù Bolognese with the classic Arabic ‘sabaa baharat’ or seven spice blend, and used quintessential ingredients from the region in the dish, including pine nuts and fresh mint and dill.

If you’re looking for more delicious and easy pastas, see our recipes for a canned tuna pasta with scallions, capers and fresh herbs, gnocchi with asparagus, mushrooms and bacon, my gnocchi with creamy tomato sauce, our cherry tomato feta pasta , a canned sardine pasta with gremolata and pangrattato, my mac and cheese with crispy bacon and caramelised shallots, a bacon and mushroom pasta (mum’s favourite), and fusilli with a creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.

Now before I tell you about my lamb ragù recipe, I have a favour to ask. Grantourismo is reader-supported. If you’ve enjoyed our recipes, please consider supporting Grantourismo. There are loads of ways to support the site, but you could buy a handcrafted KROK, the best mortar and pestle ever; or book a cooking class or meal with locals on EatWith; or buy something on Amazon, such as these cookbooks for culinary travellers or classic cookbooks for serious cooks.

Looking for more cooking inspiration? We’ve got hundreds of recipes in our archives from around the world from places we’ve lived, worked, travelled, and loved. And don’t forget you can save your favourite recipes in a private account by clicking on the heart on the right of the post. Now let me tell you all about this recipe for a lamb Bolognese with Middle Eastern spices.

Lamb Ragu Recipe with Middle Eastern Spices, Pine Nuts, Dill and Mint

My recipe for lamb ragù with Middle Eastern spices, pine nuts, mint and dill was partly inspired by this hummus with spiced beef and pine nuts (which can also be made with lamb), a traditional Middle Eastern mezze called hummus bil lahme, and partly inspired by a spiced minced lamb dish Terence and I used to enjoy almost every Saturday for years for brunch or lunch at Fez, one of our favourite Darlinghurst cafe-restaurants when we lived in inner-city Sydney.

The two Middle Eastern dishes are what we call ‘same same but different’ in Southeast Asia. Hummus bil lahme is a dish of creamy hummus drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with cumin powder, and topped with a generous layer of richly-spiced ground beef and roasted pine nuts.

One of our best hummus recipes, hummus bil lahme is served with pita bread for scooping (although I also love using these crispy homemade pita chips as a vehicle for the spiced mince hummus), and can be served alone as a snack or as one of an array of mezze, as a starter to an Arabic feast.

That traditional Arabic hummus and mince dish that we discovered after moving to the Middle East in the late 1990s was the inspiration for Fez chef-owner Hugh Foster’s spiced mince lamb that we had loved so much. Hugh continued to offer the dish at his Cafe Mint in Surry Hills, which he opened after he closed Fez. Hugh said the dish was so popular that he considered re-naming the eatery Cafe Mince.

Funnily enough, Terence and I serendipitously stumbled across Cafe Mint in Surry Hills on a trip back to Sydney years after we moved abroad. It was for a ‘Sydney in Winter’ project that we undertook for Destination NSW – once known as Tourism New South Wales when mum worked for the government department way back in the Seventies.

It was a delightful surprise to firstly realise that Cafe Mint was Hugh Foster’s and that the spiced lamb mince was on the menu. But also that Cafe Mint was located in the space that was once Bar Georgio – the casual Italian bistro of our chef friend John, the drummer in Terence’s band back in the ’90s – where Terence worked to hone his chef skills while I was in South America doing my Masters research. It was like stepping back in time.

I only have a few tips to making my lamb ragù recipe with Middle Eastern spices, pine nuts, mint and dill, as it’s super easy, but it’s also very versatile.

Tips to Making this Lamb Ragu Recipe with Middle Eastern Spices, Pine Nuts, Dill and Mint

Just a few tips to making my lamb ragù recipe for a lamb Bolognese with Middle Eastern spices, toasted pine nuts, and perfumed fresh dill and mint.

Lamb Mince

You want a nice fatty lamb mince and, as with a classic beef and pork ragù, it’s important to cook the ground lamb until it begins to brown for the most flavour. Then add the spices.

‘Sabaa Baharat’ or Seven Spice Blend

I suggest preparing the classic Arabic sabaa baharat or seven spice blend of ground cumin, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, white pepper, and black pepper while the lamb ragù is cooking. It takes no time to stir the spices together in a lidded glass jar.

But you could certainly make it ahead of time and you could double or triple the measures if you’re a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine. There are a lot of dishes you can use the seven spice blend in, such as these Middle Eastern meatballs, and my spiced Middle Eastern rice.

Spaghetti and Other Pastas

I use dried spaghetti for this lamb ragù recipe, but you could use tagliatelle, fettuccini or another long pasta. It’s also delicious with penne. Follow the packet instructions and only cook the past until al dente, which for most of the dried spaghetti brands I use is around 8 minutes.

Toasting the Pine Nuts

While the spaghetti is cooking, I usually toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium-high until brown, stirring the pine nuts frequently so they colour evenly. But you could also do this ahead of time. Just make sure to watch the pine nuts closely so they don’t burn.

Remove the pine nuts immediately and transfer them to a small cold ceramic dish, otherwise they’ll continue to brown. Transfer half the pine nuts and half the fresh herbs to the lamb ragu and stir in to incorporate. You’ll use the remaining pine nuts for garnishing.

Assembling the Dish

When the spaghetti is al dente, use tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot to the pan, taking a little cooking water with the pasta, add half the grated parmesan, and stir to combine well.

Serving the Dish

Divide the pasta between four plates – or two plates, and you’ll have enough leftovers for another meal – sprinkle on the rest of the toasted pine nuts, parmesan, fresh herbs, drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil, grind on a little cracked black pepper if you like, and serve immediately, with a side salad and crusty bread.

My Italian friends insist that a salad must be served before a pasta not with a pasta, but I’m a big believer in salads as sides to pastas. While you could serve a classic Italian or Mediterranean salad with this pasta, a Middle Eastern fattoush or farmers salad would be even better.

Lamb Ragu Recipe with Middle Eastern Spices, Pine Nuts, Dill and Mint

Lamb Ragu Recipe with Middle Eastern Spices, Pine Nuts, Dill and Mint

AuthorLara Dunston

This lamb ragu recipe with Middle Eastern spices, pine nuts, dill and mint makes a lamb Bolognese made with ground lamb instead of the traditional ground beef and pork of authentic ragu Bolognese. It’s also a ‘cheat’s Bolognese’, in that it doesn’t begin with the classic Italian soffritto of sautéed onion, carrot and celery, although its aromatic, rich and flavourful, imbued with Middle Eastern spices and showered with crunchy toasted pine nuts and fragrant fresh dill and mint.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 38 minutes mins

Total Time 43 minutes mins

Course pasta, main

Cuisine Italian, Italian-Australian

Servings made with recipeServings 4

Calories 1033 kcal

Equipment

1 Stock Pot

1 Saucepan

1 Slotted Spoon

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion - diced
• 500 g lamb mince
• 2 garlic cloves - minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 ml thickened cream
• 500 g spaghetti
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• 2 tbsp torn fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper - or to taste

Instructions

 

• Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.
• To a deep pan over medium-high, heat the olive oil until shimmering then add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes or until soft, fragrant and translucent.
• To the same pan, add the ground lamb, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break the minced lamb up into fine pieces, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb mince starts to brown.
• While the ground lamb is cooking, to a small lidded jar, add the ground cumin, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, white pepper, and black pepper and stir to combine to create the Middle Eastern spice blend.
• When the ground lamb is brown, add the minced garlic cloves, salt, tomato paste, a teaspoon of the spice blend, and the cream, stir to combine well, and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until until the sauce bubbles and reduces to a dense consistency then turn the heat to low.
• Taste the lamb ragu, and if you like add another teaspoon of the spice blend, or more to suit your palate.
• While the lamb ragu is cooking, to the pot of salted boiling water, add the spaghetti, give it a stir to ensure it’s separated, put the lid on, and cook, following the packet instructions, until al dente, probably around 8 minutes.
• While the spaghetti is cooking, to a small pan over medium-high, add the pine nuts, and toast until brown, stirring frequently so they evenly colour and watching them closely so they don’t burn. Remove them immediately and transfer them to a small dish, otherwise they’ll continue to brown.
• Transfer half the pine nuts and half the fresh herbs to the lamb ragu and stir in to incorporate.
• When the spaghetti is al dente, use tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot to the pan, taking a little cooking water with the pasta, add half the grated parmesan, and stir to combine well.
• Divide the pasta between four plates – or two plates, and you’ll have enough leftovers for another meal – sprinkle on the rest of the toasted pine nuts, parmesan, fresh herbs, drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil, grind on a little cracked black pepper if you like, and serve immediately, with a side salad and crusty bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 1033kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 40gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 463mgPotassium: 739mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 588IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 5mg

Please do let us know in the comments below if you make my lamb ragù recipe for a lamb Bolognese with Middle Eastern spices, toasted pine nuts, and fresh fragrant dill and mint, as I’d love to hear how it turns out for you.