An incredibly delicious, umami-packed, hearty lamb ragù. Serve it over pasta, and enjoy with a glass of good red wine for the perfect cozy night in.
Consider this braised lamb ragù recipe a project for a weekend or a lazy afternoon, and one not to miss. It involves a little bit of chopping and a lot of patience for braising the lamb. The result of all the slow cooking is an incredibly delicious, umami-packed, hearty lamb ragù. Serve it over pasta and enjoy with a glass of good red wine for the perfect cozy night in.
Inspired by his extensive travels throughout the Mediterranean, award-winning Chef Sean Connolly has developed a menu at Esther, the signature restaurant at QT Auckland, a luxury boutique hotel offering guests a eclectic mix of design, art and lifestyle with plenty of personality that makes it feel homey, yet elevated. QT Auckland’s signature restaurant features flavors and spices from Sicily to southern France to Morocco, while highlighting the best produce and culinary products of the region. 
One of Sean’s signature dishes, which features prominently on Esther’s fall and winter menu, is his Lamb Ragù, which also has long been a tradition in his home and features in his cookbook, “My Family Feast: A World of Family Recipes and Tradition.” According to Chef Sean, “lamb’s got a rich, hearty flavor and texture, and slow-cooking it on the bone just makes the sauce even better.” The ragù tastes even better the second day. He suggests serving it over ribbon pasta, topped with finely grated parmesan.
Ragùs aren’t an everyday affair, and if you’re going the extra mile to procure top-quality meat and dedicate a couple of hours to the kitchen, you’ll want it to be worth every minute. Rest assured, the chef has painstakingly perfected this dish to ensure it’s not just good but incredibly delicious.
Step by Step to Make Braised Lamb Ragù
1. Prepare the Sauce:
- Sweat the Aromatics: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sweat the diced onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown them.
- Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until it deepens in color.
- Wine and Tomato Puree: Pour in the white wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add the tomato puree and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, until thickened.
- Season and Finish: Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the olive oil. Let it cool slightly before refrigerating until needed.
2. Cook the Lamb:
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Brown the Lamb: In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper. Sear them until browned on all sides.
- Add Aromatics: Add bay leaves, garlic, onion, and carrot to the pot. Pour in chicken stock, ensuring the lamb is mostly submerged.
- Braise: Cover tightly with foil or a lid and place in the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the lamb is tender and falling off the bone.
- Cool and Shred: Remove from the oven and let the lamb cool in the cooking liquid. Once cool, shred the meat and discard the bones.
- Strain and Reduce: Strain the braising liquid and mix it into the tomato sauce. Simmer the combined sauce over medium-low heat for another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
3. Cook the Pasta:
- Boil Pasta: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain and reserve a bit of pasta water.
- Combine: Toss the pasta with the lamb ragu sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
4. Assemble and Serve:
- Serve: Plate the pasta and lamb ragu, garnishing with fresh basil leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Fall Comfort Dish: Braised Lamb Ragù
- Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Description
This slow-cooked lamb ragu has an incredible flavor and rich sauce from simmering luxuriously tender lamb, tomato, white wine, and herbs. Serve with your favorite pasta and good glass of red wine for the perfect cozy fall meal.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups (1 quart) tomato puree (use high-quality, such as Mutti)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Lamb:
- 2 1/2 to 3 lbs lamb shanks or lamb shoulder
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly crushed
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 cups chicken stock
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound strozzapreti pasta (or other robust pasta like pappardelle)
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Sauce:
- Sweat the Aromatics: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sweat the diced onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown them.
- Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until it deepens in color.
- Wine and Tomato Puree: Pour in the white wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add the tomato puree and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, until thickened.
- Season and Finish: Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the olive oil. Let it cool slightly before refrigerating until needed.
2. Cook the Lamb:
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Brown the Lamb: In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper. Sear them until browned on all sides.
- Add Aromatics: Add bay leaves, garlic, onion, and carrot to the pot. Pour in chicken stock, ensuring the lamb is mostly submerged.
- Braise: Cover tightly with foil or a lid and place in the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the lamb is tender and falling off the bone.
- Cool and Shred: Remove from the oven and let the lamb cool in the cooking liquid. Once cool, shred the meat and discard the bones.
- Strain and Reduce: Strain the braising liquid and mix it into the tomato sauce. Simmer the combined sauce over medium-low heat for another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
3. Cook the Pasta:
- Boil Pasta: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain and reserve a bit of pasta water.
- Combine: Toss the pasta with the lamb ragu sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
4. Assemble and Serve:
- Serve: Plate the pasta and lamb ragu, garnishing with fresh basil leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the sauce. This step is really important. If it hasn’t been reduced enough, it will be too watery, but reducing too much will leave you with a bitter sauce.
- Consistency: Adjust the sauce consistency with reserved pasta water.
- Storage: This ragu freezes well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cooking Tip: For the best texture, avoid overcooking the pasta. Keep it al dente!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: braising
- Method: braising
- Cuisine: comfort
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200g
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 860mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 91mg
Five stars!