This dish is inspired by a recipe I’ve seen in a few Greek cookbooks and the recipe involves lamb (or goat), boiling the pasta in meat stock and the result is a meal that tastes way more complex than the ingredient list would lead you to believe.
The village of Anogeia is located over 700 metres atop of the north face of Mount Psiloritis. According to mythology, Zeus grew up here and in more recent times, it was burned by the Turks and then by the Germans, who during the War, as a reprisal for kidnapping a German general, rounded-up and shot all the men they could find in the village.
Stock-breeding is the main source of wealth here and if you fancy lamb or goat…this is the place to be. This dish has four main components; the lamb, the pasta, the stock and the herbs.
You can go the old school way and use a shoulder of lamb where you boil it to create your stock. Simply place a lamb shoulder in a stock pot and cover with enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer the lamb for about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for about an hour. Skim the fat and discard. Strain your stock and reserve the meat.
Us Greeks usually have lamb stock on hand but a veal or beef stock works just as as well. If you’re really in a pinch, you could buy cans of low-sodium broth from your local grocer. Either way, boil the pasta in the stock…you’ll taste the difference!
For a nice presentation, I’ve used lamb chops which can be grilled, pan-seared on a skillet and finished in the oven or simply place the lamb chops under your broiler.
My marinade for grilled lamb chops works wonderfully for this dish and they will come-out tender each and every time.
The final components of this dish are the herbs and cheeses. The pasta gets tossed in an amalgam of fresh chopped sage, fresh mint and I’ve spiked the mixture with some Boukovo (dried red chillis) to give the dish a kick.
Some crumbled Feta cheese is added into the mix along with some pasta water to help transfer the herbs and spice throughout all the pasta. The dish is finished with some grated Kefalotyri cheese and a Greek bottle of red is fitting for this easy and very flavourful dish.
Anogeia Lamb With Macaronia
(serves 4)
2 racks of lamb (or 1 kg of lamb shoulder)
salt and pepper
1 recipe of lamb marinade
500 gr. package of spaghetti
Approx. 8 cups of lamb (or veal or beef stock)
1/2 cup of crumbled Feta cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of Boukovo (dry red chillis)
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
3 Tbsp. of chopped fresh mint
2 Tsp. of lemon zest
4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter (or equivalent in olive oil)
reserved lamb stock
grated Kefalotyri cheese (or Romano)
- Ensure your lamb chops have been marinating for 2-4 hours. Bring back to room temperature, season with salt and pepper and then grill for 3 minutes/side and reserve in a warm oven. If cooking indoors, you can pan-sear the the lamb chops in an oven-safe skillet and them finish off in an pre-heated 375F oven for 10 minutes. Again, reserve and keep warm.
- In the meantime, bring your lamb stock to a boil and then add your spaghetti. Bring back to a boil and cook to “al dente” as per the package instructions.
- In a bowl, add the crumbled Feta, chopped sage, chopped mint, Boukovo (chilli flakes), minced garlic and lemon zest. Stir to mix well and set aside.
- Just when your pasta is cooked to “al dente”, add the butter (or olive oil into a large skillet and transfer the boiled pasta into the skillet. Add the bowl with the Feta, sage and mint mixture and toss to coat.
- Add a ladle of stock and continue to toss to coat (add more stock if the sauce is too dry).
- Divide the pasta among four plates, divide and arrange your warm lamb chops over the pasta. Squeeze some lemon juice over each serving along with some grated Kefalotyri cheese.
- Serve with a dry Greek wine, like a Pavlou P62 Xinomavro/Syrah.
NOTE: The remaining stock and lamb meat can be used to make Lamb Giouvetsi.
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© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis
33 Responses
I definitely agree with you regarding the complex taste Peter. It would bring the spaghetti up to a new level. Nice cutlets and a very modern take on “makariona me kreas”..beautiful!
wow! i love the idea of boiling the pasta in stock. did you use low sodium stock or anything to counteract the additional saltiness in the pasta? or did it not taste salty?
boiling the pasta in stock really sounds nice. is this sort of dish ever done with fresh pasta?
Oh yum..I love the fact that you boil the pasta in the stock! What a nice way to kick up the flavor
I love lamb cooked like this. This dish looks wonderful with the pasta and cheese.
the technique of boiling pasta instead of rice in meat stock is often used in village weddings in crete (but never in hania – this is an eastern cretan tradition)
I remember my grandmother at a mountain village (Apeiranthos) in Naxos island to boil pasta in the lamp stock and it tasted like heaven!
I do tend to like dishes with less ingredients better. Somehow the tastes comes out better and this is a perfect example of one such dish! I still have to convince Tom that lamb is actually quite good in taste, but one of these days I am gonna succeed! (he doesn’t like the particular taste of lamb…)
A perfect dish! That dish must be very flavorful!
Cheers,
Rosa
I like the additional mint. new to me but I will try.
that piece of bone certainly lends itself to picking up the hunk of meat and gnawing away like a caveman, does it not? great dish, peter. :)
Great idea to boil the pasta in the stock. I think I’d rather use a lighter stock, because I am afraid I would find the whole lamb taste a tad overwhelming.
Boiling the pasta in stick would add depth of flavour to the dish..pure ingenuity.
Looks Great!!! We just got back from Greece and had wonderful food, including some of the most tender lamb ever! Yum!!!
Looks delicious- hope to try this out sometime soon!
Oh man, Peter, those choppies look so good!!!! I never trim my chops, like a little fat on the side….naughty ole me!!!!
Hello, just met you via Cheryl..
I shall be back, loved this recipe!!
Peter, this is one wonderful-looking dish. I love lamb and I’ll bet the lamb stock has so much more flavor than veal or beef. Mmmm I can taste this dish now. Mmmm!
Now I need to go buy some lamb chops…
great idea boiling the noodles in the stock. you do lamb like no one else…
What a hearty and delicious meal!
Interesting pairing chops with pasta .. something new to me but I will try it. Like the flavours going on the marinade as well!
Cute lamb. The final lemon juice touch sounds spot on! Bon travail, mon ami.
Very intriguing dish. I thought I’ve tried every pasta combination imaginable, but this is a new one one me.
Love the history briefing – and – the noodles boiled in lamb broth. That’s the way to do it!
The lamb chops look really good and the pasta cooked in the stock must be wonderfully flavorful! Excellent dish!
I love Crete and its food. My mother used to make this kind of food.
Oooh yum – this looks good!
Love the pictures too.
I bet the taste difference will be phenomenal! I’ve never tried it before, though. (Hmm, maybe I like the bland noodles, haha.) I think I should!
You always make the best meals!
Love simple meals like this. Your marinade looks great, Peter — so much flavor! (no wonder the simple pasta is so flavorful!)
Hi Peter
this lamb is a marvel to me !
I have now posted in english my last recipe on ly blog !see you then! cheers Pierre
I’ve done this for years with a leg of lamb or lamb shanks, roasted; then after the lamb is roasted, remove the meat from the roaster, add the stock and seasoning, a little bit of tomato paste, juice of one lemon to the roaster. Return the roaster to the oven till the stock boils. Add spaghetti to the stock…make sure it continues to boil in oven. Stir every 4-5 minutes till the spaghetti is cooked and absorbs the stock…lots of work, bot the best Greek comfort food you will ever have…absolutely heavenly!! Well worth the effort!! :-) mmmmmmmmmmm!