This Lamb Ragu is pure comfort food! Whether served over pasta, gnocchi, polenta, or mashed potatoes, this dish forms the start of a family feast. As it cooks in the oven, the lamb shoulder slowly braises, transforming into something succulent and tender, which, when combined with the robust, rich tomato sauce, has a rustic elegance, so you could easily serve this to guests.
To serve the pasta (assuming you are using half of the ragu) Serves 4-6
12ozdried egg pappardelle pasta
1tablespoonsalt
½cupheavy cream
½cupgrated parmesan
Instructions
To cook the Ragu
Preheat oven to 325˚F/160ºC.
Cut the lamb into six pieces and season all over with salt.3 lb/ 1kg boneless lamb shoulder2 teaspoons salt
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil, and once hot, sear the lamb for 4-5 minutes on each side. Leaving the oil in the pan, remove the lamb and set it to one side.4 tablespoons olive oil
Reduce the heat to low, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and sauté for 15 minutes until colored but not burnt.2 carrots2 large onions2 stalk celery
Add the garlic and saute for a minute.8 cloves garlic
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoons tomato paste
Turn the heat back to high and add the wine, scraping at the bottom to remove any browned bits.1 cup/ 240ml red wine
Add in the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and fennel. Then, stir in the canned tomatoes, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.2 bay leaves2 teaspoons dried rosemary1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried ground fennel1 can crushed tomatoes2 cups/ 480ml vegetable broth or stock½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper
Add the lamb back into the pan, along with any collected juices. Cover the pan and place it on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Cook the lamb for 2-2 ½ hours.
Remove the pan from the oven and use two forks to shred the lamb. Leave it as chunky or as fine as you like. Stir well to combine.
At this point, the sauce can be cooled and refrigerated or frozen. (see note 2)
To serve the pasta (assuming you are using half of the ragu)
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the salt and cook the pasta for 2 minutes, less than the packet suggests.1 tablespoon salt12 oz dried egg pappardelle pasta
While the pasta is cooking, reheat the ragu in a large pan/Dutch oven. (if needed)
Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and add it to the ragu.
Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese.½ cup/ 120ml heavy cream½ cup/ 50g grated parmesan
Bring to a simmer and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. If the sauce starts to look dry, use some reserved pasta cooking water to bring the consistency to your liking.
Serve with extra parmesan.
Notes
I generally use red wine for this lamb ragu, but you can substitute white wine if that is what you have. Both will give your ragu a great flavor. If you don't drink alcohol, then you can use extra broth.
Once the ragu is cooked, allow it to cool and place in a container with a lid. Store the refrigerator for four to five days or the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to eat the ragu, reheat it, and add the cream and cheese as instructed.