Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 T. olive oil, divided
1½ lbs. lamb shoulder, excess fat trimmed, and diced into 1" cubes
Kosher salt & ground black pepper, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. tomato paste
1 c. dry red wine (such as Chianti)
1 c. low-sodium beef stock
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
8–10 sprigs fresh thyme
Braised Lamb Ragu Pasta:
16–24 oz. pasta (pappardelle, bucatini, rigatoni, etc.) or gnocchi
¼ -⅓ c. grated Parmesan (roughly 1 T. per serving)
¼ -⅓ c. heavy cream (roughly 1 T. per serving)
Grated Parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
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Directions: |
Directions:Add 1 T. of olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat lamb dry with paper towel and season with 1 tsp. salt & 1 tsp. ground black pepper. Add the lamb to Dutch oven and cook until deeply browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Work in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the pot, which prevents browning. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325º.
Add the remaining 1 T. olive oil to the pot & reduce the heat to medium. Once oil is hot & shimming, add in the onion, carrots, and celery, seasoning with 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened & deeply browned, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for 1-2 minutes more, caramelizing the tomato paste.
Slowly pour the red wine into the Dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits that have formed at the bottom of the pot. Let the red wine reduce by about half (this goes by quickly!), then pour in the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and the herbs. I like to use kitchen twine to tie them into a little bundle for easy removal. Return the lamb to the Dutch oven.
Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the oven to braise for 2 – 2½ hours. When it’s ready, the lamb should shred very easily – it’ll be tender enough that you should be able to shred it right in the ragu by using the back of a wooden spoon. Remove & discard the spent bay leaves & herbs. Shred the lamb & stir to combine. At this point, you can cool & store for later use (see Recipe Notes for storage & freezing instructions).
Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi or pasta to al dente according to package directions. Before draining, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water & set aside. Carefully drain the pasta (or gnocchi) & set aside – do NOT rinse hot pasta/gnocchi!
Finish the sauce: Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, bring the braised lamb ragu to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream & grated Parmesan. Reduce heat to low & continue to simmer, stirring occasionally as needed.
Add the al dente pasta or gnocchi to the simmering ragu sauce, tossing to coat such that the pasta is evenly coated in sauce. If the ragu is thick & needs to loosen up some, drizzle in some of the reserved starchy pasta water. If the pasta is loose & needs to thicken up some, sprinkle in some extra grated Parmesan. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until the pasta or gnocchi absorbs some of the ragu & the ragu clings to the pasta or gnocchi.
Portion the lamb ragu pasta into individual pasta bowls. Finish with some grated Parm or finely chopped herbs as desired. Serve immediately. Serves 6. |
This recipe for Slowly Braised Lamb Ragu is from