GREEKISH LAMB PASTA

This is not-quite spag bol but a warming but still summery one-course supper for evenings when the sun is shining, but not so fiercely as to make slow-cooked meatiness an unseasonable abomination. In truth, I wouldn’t like to claim that this oregano-flecked, feta-topped meat sauce is really Greek, but a Greek friend of mine (admittedly deracinated, and educated in England) used to make something like it. If it makes life easier, you can cook the lamb mince in advance, seeing to the pasta and reheating the sauce and crumbling over the astringent white cheese at the last minute. And it is a wonderful combination: the salty-sourness of the feta and sweetness of the tomatoey, oregano-redolent lamb meld fabulously, persuasively together. I don’t usually go in for meat sauces with pasta hugely, but this is heavenly, food for the (Greek) Gods.

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

150g button mushrooms

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

500g lamb mince

250ml red wine

2 x 400g tins tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato purée mixed with 2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon caster sugar

salt and black pepper

500g spaghetti, spaghettini, linguine or tagliatelle

200g feta cheese

Blitz the onion, garlic, mushrooms and a tablespoon of the dried oregano to rubble in the processor, or just chop finely by hand. Cook in the oil in a frying pan which will take the meat later for about 10 minutes on a low-to-medium heat, until softened. Don’t panic if it looks as if you’ve got a ridiculously vast panful at first: it will cook down to a more modest amount. Push the cooked onion and mushroom mixture to the sides when softened, and add the minced lamb to the pan, stirring and prodding with your wooden spoon until the raw colour has lost its edge. Add the wine and let it bubble up for a minute or so. Then add the tomatoes, the tomato purée which you’ve diluted with the milk, the remaining tablespoon of oregano, the sugar, a teaspoon or so of salt and a good grinding of pepper. Stir well, so that the tomatoes break up and everything is mixed together, cover and cook for at least 30 minutes over a lowish heat. That’s to say, all meat sauces like this are better the longer they’re (slowly) cooked, but don’t worry if you’ve got only half an hour.

Meanwhile, put a copious amount of water to boil in the largest pan you’ve got. When it’s boiling, salt well and cook the pasta according to taste and packet instructions. While it’s cooking, chop or crumble the feta (I use my mezzaluna here) and warm a large bowl or plate (just filling it with hot water in the sink’s fine). When the pasta’s ready, drain it and toss it with a ladleful or so of the meat sauce. Turn into the warmed (and dried) bowl or plate, push towards the edges and pour the rest of the meat sauce on top and in the middle. Crumble over the chopped feta and serve, immediately.

Serves 6 as a starter; 4 as a main course.