Italian Meat - Lamb Recipes - Lamb, Beans and Gnocchi (Agnello, Fagioli e Gnocchi) Recipe

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• 600 ml/1 pt/2 1/2 cups milk

• 100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup semolina (cream of wheat)

• 75 g/3 oz/3/4 cup Asiago or other hard cheese, grated

• 50 g/2 oz/1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

• 1 egg

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Lamb:

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 kg/2 1/4 lb boned shoulder lamb

• 150 ml/2/3 cup tarragon vinegar

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 400 g/14 oz/1 large can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained

• 450 g/1lb French (green) beans, halved

• 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter

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Method:

1. Bring the milk to the boil, turn down the heat and pour in the semolina, stirring all the time. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the mixture thickens.

2. Beat in the grated Asiago cheese and half the Parmesan cheese. Cook for a further 2 minutes then beat in the nutmeg and egg.

3. Season well with salt and pepper and spread the mixture in a baking dish. Level the top and cool and chill for 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Fry (sauté) the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes until it starts to brown and remove from the pan.

5. Cut the lamb into 5 cm/2 in cubes and try in the oil until browned all over. Return the onion to the pan and season well.

6. Pour in the vinegar and add the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary. Cook for 1 minute and transfer to a casserole dish (Dutch oven).

7. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Add the borlotti beans and green beans to the dish after 30 minutes.

8. Cut the gnocchi into 4 cm/1 1/2 in cubes. Butter a large oven­proof dish and place the cubes of gnocchi in it.

9. Cover with the remaining Parmesan and dot with butter. Bake for 25 minutes at the top of the oven and serve.