Lamb Ragù
Hearty with bold flavor, this Lamb Ragù is absolutely delicious! It's a comforting, rich slow simmered pasta dish you totally must try!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and excess fat trimmed
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste and divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions, diced
- 3/4 cup carrots, diced
- 3/4 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
- 4 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, room temperature and divided
- 1/2 lbs. cooked pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle
- 1/3 cup grated Grana Padano cheese, for serving
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Pat dry the meat and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp. oil. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides in hot oil until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon, while working with the remaining meat.
- Add pressed garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Return the lamb to the pot including any accumulated juices and add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid has reduced by 2/3rds.
- To this, add milk and cook for 3 minutes before reducing the heat back to medium and simmer until mostly evaporated, about 7 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf; stir well. When it starts simmering, add 1 cup chicken broth. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, partially cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook for 4 ½ to 5 hours, stirring often.
- One hour later, remove the lid and continue cooking the ragù uncovered for the remaining time.
- About 2 hours through cooking, add a ¼ cup of the reserved ½ cup of chicken broth and stir very well while breaking up the meat with the tip of the spoon.
- Another hour later, add half of what’s left from the reserved chicken broth.
- Add the remaining reserved chicken broth during the last hour of cooking, remove the bay leaf, stir and keep breaking up the meat into tiny pieces if needed. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- About 15 minutes before cooking time is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander but reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water in case it’s needed.
- Add drained pasta to the ragù and toss to coat. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water. When serving, sprinkle on cheese and fresh chopped parsley.