Lamb ragu
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Servings
4 approx
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Calories
276 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Lamb ragu
Description
The Lamb ragu recipe combines lamb shoulder browned to develop a caramelized crust with a soffritto of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. These ingredients are simmered in red wine, stock, and tomato passata, along with mixed herbs creating a robust and flavorful sauce. The method involves deglazing to capture browned bits and slow simmering to tenderize the meat and meld the flavors.
This sauce offers a thick, rich texture from the cooked-down tomatoes and tender lamb, delivering a concentrated taste with herbal notes. The choice of cuts and long simmering time ensures the lamb becomes juicy and pulls apart easily.
Serve the ragu over approximately one pound of dried pasta to complement the sauce’s richness. It's ideal for a comforting meal and holds well for reheating. The recipe supports preparing the sauce ahead of time, with storage instructions to chill or freeze it separately, cooking the pasta fresh when ready.
The amount of lamb can be adjusted slightly without changing other ingredient proportions, accommodating availability or dietary preference. The recipe balances flavors between wine acidity, tomato sweetness, and savory herbs for a nuanced dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb lamb shoulder 675g
- 1 onion or ½ large onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 rib celery
- 3 cloves garlic (or 2 if large)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or a little more if needed)
- ¾ cup red wine 180ml, dry
- ¼ cup stock or water, 60ml
- 14 oz tomato passata 400g (or use finely chopped tomatoes)
- 1 ½ teaspoon mixed herbs (or use blend of approx ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon thyme, ¼ teaspoon sage and ¼ teaspoon marjoram)
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the lamb and cut into approx 1in/2.5cm dice. Cut the onion, carrot and celery into a small dice and finely dice the garlic.
- Warm roughly half the oil in a medium heavy-based pot/pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides in batches to make sure you don't overcrowd the pan. Make sure you get a nice sear on the meat, at least on some sides, and transfer to a plate once they are browned on all sides.
- Reduce the heat slightly (to more of a medium heat) and add the remaining oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook around 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are starting to brown slightly, adding the garlic once the vegetables have softened.
- Add the lamb back into the pot then add the wine to deglaze the pot (you want it to start to simmer, while you scrape any browning from the bottom of the pot which adds flavor to the sauce).
- Add the stock/water, tomatoes and herbs. Stir and bring to a simmer then reduce the heat. Cover with the lid slightly open to let it reduce a little and leave to simmer gently for approximately an hour, possibly longer, until the meat is very tender.
- Break up the meat by shredding against the side of the pot or with forks (you can also leave in larger pieces, but I find it works better as a sauce when broken up).
- You can either leave to cool and then pack up to store for later/freeze at this point, or keep warm while you cook pasta. You can either serve it over cooked pasta or mix it through, as you prefer.
Notes
- This quantity of sauce pairs well with about 1 pound (500g) of dried pasta for serving.
- For advance preparation, refrigerate or freeze the sauce without pasta, cooking noodles fresh when serving.
- The meat amount can be increased or decreased slightly while keeping other ingredients unchanged.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4approx
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 276kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 69mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 181mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 867mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 3130IU | 63% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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