Ingredients

• Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
  2. 1/2 pound ground lamb
  3. 1/2 medium red onion, minced
  4. 1/4 cup dry red wine
  5. 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  6. 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  7. 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  8. 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  9. 1/4 teaspoon crushed lavender
  10. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  11. 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
  12. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  13. 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  14. 1 6-ounce bunch of arugula
  15. 1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
  16. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  17. 1 1/4 pounds fresh tagliarini

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the pork and lamb with the onion, wine, parsley, zest, thyme, fennel, lavender and red pepper. Add one-third of the garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
2. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until browned, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until no trace of pink remains. Transfer to a plate.
3. In a food processor, puree the arugula with the almonds, 1/2 cup of Parmesan and the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and garlic. Scrape the pesto into a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
4. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta; transfer it to bowl. Toss the pasta with the pesto and 1/2 cup of the cooking water; add more water if the sauce is dry. Serve with the meatballs and more Parmesan and olive oil.