Sagne 'Ntorchiate Abruzzesi

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 400 g semola rimacinata (fine durum wheat semolina)
• 3 eggs, whole, room temperature
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 30 ml water, cold; less than standard egg pasta — add cautiously
• For the lamb ragù
• 600 g lamb offcuts (shoulder, neck, or mixed braising pieces), bone-in pieces acceptable
• 400 g canned or fresh tomatoes, crushed
• 1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 60 ml dry white wine
• 30 ml olive oil, for browning
• 1 tsp fine salt, to taste
• For the walnut sauce (alternative)
• 150 g shelled walnuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 60 ml olive oil, extra-virgin
• 50 ml whole milk

Method

1. 1
   Mound the semola on a work surface and make a well. Break the eggs into the well with the salt. Begin incorporating the flour from the inner wall, adding the water sparingly. The dough must be firm — noticeably stiffer than a standard egg-pasta dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and cohesive. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the surface and resists a firm press with the thumb without rebounding immediately.
2. 2
   Wrap the dough and rest it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Roll it out to a thickness of approximately 3–4 mm — thick enough to hold its twist under boiling water. Cut into strips roughly 25 cm long and 2–3 cm wide. The strips must be pliable but not tacky. This is where the dish lives or dies: the dough must be twisted immediately while still fully pliable — once it begins to dry and firm, twisting breaks rather than folds the pasta. Hold each strip at both ends and twist in opposite directions 3–4 times; press lightly onto a semolina-dusted surface to set the spiral. The finished twist should show visible interior folds that will grip sauce.
3. 3
   Arrange the twisted sagne on a semolina-dusted tray. Leave to dry for 30–60 minutes at room temperature. The surface should feel dry to the touch without any tackiness; the twists should hold their form when lifted.
4. 4
   For the lamb ragù: heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in batches until deeply coloured on all surfaces. Add the onion and garlic and soften. Deglaze with the white wine and allow it to reduce until the sharp alcohol smell dissipates. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt, reduce to the lowest possible flame, cover, and braise for a minimum of 2 hours. The sauce is ready when the collagen has fully softened, the meat begins to yield and integrate into the sauce, and the consistency coats the back of a spoon without running.
5. 5
   For the walnut sauce (alternative): pound or process the walnuts with the garlic clove until a coarse paste forms. Work in the olive oil and milk until the sauce is loose enough to coat pasta. Taste for salt. The sauce should smell of walnut oil and be just pourable.
6. 6
   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the sagne 'ntorchiate. Cook until tender but with a definite bite — the thick, twisted strips will take longer than standard pasta. Taste a piece: the interior of the twist must be fully cooked through, not doughy, yet the exterior should still offer resistance.
7. 7
   Drain, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Dress immediately with the ragù or walnut sauce, loosening with cooking water if needed. The folds and spirals of the sagne should visibly hold the sauce in their interior surfaces. Serve at once.