Lamb Ragú

This lamb ragú recipe results in a delicious slow-cooked meat sauce to serve with pasta. There’s a long list of ingredients, and I promise you they all play their part, and once everything is in the pot the oven does the rest of the work!

Pair it with pappardelle or tagliatelle, the long silky ribbons will catch the sauce perfectly, or serve it with a creamy polenta for a gluten-free option. Try the Zecca Pasta which is handmade in Griffith, NSW, and available in-store. It’s made with durum wheat (grown in the Riverina area of NSW) water and love! ⁠

I hope you enjoy this hearty winter dish with a glass of red wine 🍝🍷

Lamb Ragu Recipe, Kitchen to Table Yamba

Lamb Ragú

A delicious slow-cooked sauce to serve with pasta

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 20

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
4 lamb shanks
Salt + pepper for seasoning
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
1 stalk of celery, chopped roughly
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed from stalks
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp chilli flakes, optional
1 tsp porcini powder available at Kitchen to Table
1 bay leaf
peel of 1 orange, use a peeler to remove strips of peel
2 x 400g cans tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar

Mint & pea pesto

250 g frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
50 g parmesan, grated
zest 1 lemon finely zest using a microplane
100 ml olive oil
Salt + pepper, to season

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150C.
Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary in a processor and process until finely minced. Alternatively, chop everything into small dice using a sharp knife.
Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy-based ovenproof casserole over medium heat and when hot add some olive oil. Add the lamb shanks and brown for a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the chopped vegetable mixture to the pan, add more olive oil as needed, and sautè for 10 minutes to soften. Next, add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two. Then add the porcini powder, bay leaf, orange peel, tomatoes, stock, vinegar & sugar and bring to a simmer. Return the lamb to the pan, cover with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender and pulls away easily from the bone. Remove the lamb from the pan and set it aside. When the meat is cool enough to handle shred the meat using two forks.
Place the casserole back on the stove and simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened. Return the lamb to the sauce.
Serve with a ribbon pasta such as pappardelle or tagliatelle, or with soft polenta, and add a dollop of mint and pea pesto. Buon appetito!

Pea & mint pesto

Place the peas, mint, garlic, pinenuts, parmesan, lemon zest and salt & pepper to taste in a food processor and pulse to combine.
With the motor running slowly add the olive oil until desired consistency is achieved. Taste & adjust seasoning. The pesto may even benefit from a squeeze of lemon juice, so add that if you feel it needs a lift!