Spring Lamb and Fennel Pasta

This Spring Lamb and Fennel Pasta is the perfect dish for the changing season!

With the season changing and lingering cold days mixed with glimpses of warm, spring weather, it’s sometimes hard to decide what to eat! You often want something a bit more hearty, but bright and fresh at the same time. Enter: my Spring Lamb and Fennel Pasta.

Hearty pasta is paired with lamb, Calabrian chiles, tomatoes, and fresh herbs for a delicious skillet pasta everyone is sure to love.

Ingredients:

• Mezze Maniche or Rigatoni Pasta
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ground Lamb
• Fennel Bulb and Fronds
• Garlic
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Anchovy Paste
• Tomato Paste
• Calabrian Chili Paste
• Dry White Wine
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Tomato Sauce
• Tarragon Leaves
• Parsley Leaves
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Panko Breadcrumbs

Step-by-Step:

Step One: Prep!

Preheat the oven to 400°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Step Two: Cook the Pasta

When your water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.

Step Three: Cook the Lamb

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet (or 3.5 qt braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.

Step Four: Continue Cooking the Lamb Mixture

To the lamb mixture, add the fennel, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the fennel is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the anchovy paste, tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste and toss until well combined. Pour in the white wine and continue to stir until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Step Five: Add the Tomatoes

Add the cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce, tarragon, and parsley and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. The cherry tomatoes should begin to blister and some will burst. Using a potato masher or back of a spatula, gently smash the cherry tomatoes until they all burst open, releasing their juices. Stir until well combined. Reduce to heat to low and cover until the pasta is ready.

Step Six: Drain Pasta and Begin Assembly

Drain the pasta and add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Add the sliced mozzarella across the top of the pasta.

Step Seven: Top with Breadcrumbs

Next, prepare the breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, combine the panko, tarragon, olive oil, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mozzarella.

Step Eight: Bake and Enjoy!

Transfer to the oven and bake until the mozzarella is melted and the panko is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, this allows it to cool a bit and the sauce to thicken. Finish with fennel fronds over the top of the pasta and serve!

Recipe FAQs:

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5 from 7 votes

Spring Lamb and Fennel Pasta

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 8

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Ingredients 

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For the Pasta:

• ▢ 8 ounces mezze maniche or rigatoni pasta
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound ground lamb
• ▢ 1 cup small diced bulb of fennel
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste
• ▢ 2/3 cup dry white wine
• ▢ 24 ounces cherry tomatoes
• ▢ One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced tarragon leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves
• ▢ 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
• ▢ Fennel fronds, for garnish

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

• ▢ 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced tarragon leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• When your water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep oven safe skillet (or 3.5 qt braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
• To the lamb mixture, add the fennel, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the fennel is tender, about 4 minutes.
• Add the anchovy paste, tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste and toss until well combined. Pour in the white wine and continue to stir until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce, tarragon, and parsley and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. The cherry tomatoes should begin to blister and some will burst.
• Using a potato masher or back of a spatula, gently smash the cherry tomatoes until they all burst open, releasing their juices. Stir until well combined. Reduce to heat to low and cover until the pasta is ready.
• Drain the pasta and add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Add the sliced mozzarella across the top of the pasta.
• Next, prepare the breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, combine the panko, tarragon, olive oil, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mozzarella.
• Transfer to the oven and bake until the mozzarella is melted and the panko is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, this allows it to cool a bit and the sauce to thicken. Finish with fennel fronds over the top of the pasta and serve!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Servings: 8

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Photography by Eat Love Eats.