Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu, Taggiasche Olives, and Mint

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary needles
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh garlic
• 1 heaping tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lamb hind shanks (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow Spanish onion, roughly chopped (about 1-inch pieces)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1-inch pieces)
• 1 celery rib, roughly chopped (about 1-inch pieces)
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
• 3 to 4 anchovy fillets (preferably salt-packed), rinsed and backbones removed if salt-packed
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 14 ounce-can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), crushed (including juice)
• 4 cups Basic Chicken Stock (page 27), or as needed
• 1 long fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 1/2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (page 24)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup Basic Chicken Stock (page 27)
• 12 ounces Tagliatelle (page 168)
• 1/2 cup pitted Taggiasche or Nicoise olives (about 40 olives)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finishing-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus a wedge for grating
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano

1. To marinate the lamb, combine the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Place the lamb shanks in a nonreactive baking dish or a large bowl and rub the marinade into all sides of the lamb.
3. Cover the dish or bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to marinate the lamb for at least several hours and up to overnight.
4. To make the ragu adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350F.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large, ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove the lamb from the marinade and wipe off the marinade.
7. Sear the lamb shanks, turning the shanks so they brown evenly, about 15 minutes total.
8. Remove the lamb shanks to a plate.
9. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan you cooked the lamb in and heat until its almost smoking.
10. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and saute, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning.
12. Add the anchovies and bay leaf.
13. Move the vegetables to create a bare spot in the pan, add the tomato paste to that spot, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to caramelize the tomato paste slightly.
14. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and boil the wine for about 2 minutes, until it has reduced by half.
15. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook for about 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
16. Return the lamb shanks to the pan as well as any juices that have released onto the plate they were resting on.
17. Add enough stock so that only 1 inch of the lamb is visible.
18. Nestle the rosemary sprig between the shanks.
19. If you have commercial- grade plastic wrap, which wont melt in the oven, cover the pan with plastic wrap.
20. In either case, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on the pot if it has one.
21. Place the pan in the oven and cook the lamb until it is tender and falling off the bones, about 3 1/2 hours.
22. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil and plastic if you are using it, being careful not to burn yourself from the steam that will arise from the pan.
23. Set aside to allow the lamb shanks to cool to room temperature in the braising liquid; transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to make the ragu.
24. Lift the lamb shanks from the braising liquid to a plate.
25. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables in the strainer to extract as much liquid as you can from them, and discard the contents of the strainer.
26. Skim the fat from the braising liquid.
27. Remove and discard the fat cap before proceeding.
28. Pull the meat off the lamb shanks and carefully pick through the meat to remove any sinew and bones.
29. Put the pulled meat in the saucepan with the braising liquid and bring to a boil over high heat.
30. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the lamb with the braising liquid, stirring to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the meat and sauce have combined into a thick, saucelike consistency.
31. The time will vary from 10 to 20 minutes depending on how much braising liquid you started with.
32. Use the ragu or allow it to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to three days; freeze it for as long as three months.
33. Warm the ragu over medium heat before serving, adding enough water to loosen it to a saucelike consistency.
34. If you are not using a pasta pot, place a colander in the sink or have tongs handy for lifting the pasta out of the water.
35. While the water is coming to a boil, combine 1 1/2 cups of the ragu, the tomato sauce, butter, and chicken stock in a large saute pan over medium heat.
36. Stir the ingredients to combine and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sauce is warmed through.
37. Reduce the heat while you are cooking the tagliatelle.
38. Remove the tagliatelle from the refrigerator or freezer and drop it into the boiling water.
39. Stir to prevent the strands from sticking together, partially cover the pot so the water returns to a boil quickly and continues boiling, and cook the pasta until its al dente, about 2 minutes.
40. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, place the sauce over high heat.
41. Lift the pasta out of the cooking water, or reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce.
42. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring gently so you dont tear the pasta, to stain the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry and sticky instead of slippery and glistening.
43. Turn off the heat and gently stir in the olives, parsley, and mint.
44. Add the finishing-quality olive oil, stirring vigorously and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce.
45. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano and stir to combine.
46. Use tongs to lift the tagliatelle out of the pan and onto the center of each of six plates, dividing the pasta evenly, and twirling it as it falls onto the plate to form a tight mound.
47. Spoon any sauce left in the pan over the pasta and use a microplane or another fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each plate, and serve.
48. Lacrima di Morro d Alba (The Marches)

extravirgin olive oil, rosemary needles, fresh garlic, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, extravirgin olive oil, yellow spanish onion, carrot, celery, garlic, anchovy, bay leaf, tomato paste, white wine, tomatoes, chicken, rosemary sprig, tomato sauce, unsalted butter, chicken, tagliatelle, taggiasche, fresh italian parsley, mint leaves, finishingquality, freshly grated pecorino romano

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/stinging-nettle-tagliatelle-with-lamb-ragu-taggiasche-olives-and-mint-393504 (may not work)