Abruzzo (Teramo province), central Italy
Ceppe are Teramo's distinctive hand-formed pasta — short, hollow tubes formed by rolling a piece of semolina dough around a metal skewer (ferro) or knitting needle, then sliding the dough off to leave a rough-textured tube approximately 6 cm long and 1 cm in diameter. The sauce is a slow-braised lamb ragù alla teramana: shoulder pieces browned in lard with onion and celery, then braised for 2 hours in white wine, lamb or chicken broth and San Marzano tomatoes. The lamb is pulled from the bone, shredded coarsely and returned to the sauce. Ceppe are cooked al dente and finished in the pan with the ragù, grated Pecorino d'Abruzzo and torn flat-leaf parsley.
Rich, gamey slow-braised lamb; white wine and tomato brightness; Pecorino's salt and sharpness cutting through the fat; semolina pasta with a slightly gritty bite.
{"Work the semolina dough very firm — it should not stick to the ferro during rolling; add water dropwise if needed","Roll the ceppe with even pressure to create a tube of uniform thickness — thin spots tear when slid off the ferro","Brown the lamb pieces in lard, not olive oil: lard tolerates the high temperature needed for Maillard browning without burning","The ragù requires at minimum 2 hours of covered braising over very low heat for the collagen to dissolve and the lamb to shred cleanly","Finish the pasta in the sauce pan for 60 seconds — the rough exterior of the ceppe grips the sauce"}
{"The ferro (skewer) should be lightly floured before rolling to facilitate easy removal without tearing","Reserve the lamb bones during braising and remove before shredding — the marrow dissolves into the sauce during the long cook","A teaspoon of dried peperoncino flakes added to the soffritto adds the subtle heat characteristic of Teramo mountain cooking"}
{"Using too soft a dough — soft ceppe collapse or tear when slid off the ferro","Rushed braising: lamb shoulder braised less than 90 minutes is chewy and won't shred","Over-reducing the sauce before adding the ceppe — there must be sufficient liquid for the pasta to finish cooking in","Using Parmigiano instead of Pecorino d'Abruzzo: the sharper, more saline Pecorino is essential to the balance"}
La Cucina Abruzzese: Ricette della Tradizione Contadina e Pastorizia