Braised Lamb Ragu Rigatoni
Swooning over this amazing braised Lamb Ragu rigatoni recipe! This ragu is the ultimate comfort food, easy to prep ahead.
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder dried and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
- 2 small yellow onions finely chopped
- 1 large carrot finely chopped
- 1 rib of celery stalks finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes we are using San Marzano
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups water or broth of choice
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup shredded pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- Finely chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Season your lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven, or large deep pot with a drizzle of oil on medium-high heat.
- Brown your lamb on all sides, turning occasionally, for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side, until the lamb gets a deep, golden brown. At this point, your lamb won’t be fully cooked yet. Transfer your lamb to a plate.
- With the heat still on, bring the heat to medium. Add in your onions, carrots, and celery. Stir to combine, and let your mirepoix (mix of onion, carrot, and celery) sweat out for about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of chili.
- Then add in your tomato paste and garlic. Toss to combine and allow your tomato paste to turn a nice darkened red color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add in your wine, and allow that to reduce by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add in your crushed tomatoes and give it a big toss, let this simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, and add your lamb back into the pot.
- Season with salt, and pepper, and add in your balsamic, soy sauce, and broth/water.
- Bring this to a gentle simmer, and then bring the heat to low, cover, and let your lamb braise in this mixture for about an hour. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer your lamb to the oven for about 2 to 3 hours until the lamb is tender and completely falls apart.
- When braised completely, remove the lamb chunks and transfer them to a cutting board, carefully. Shred them with a fork, and add them back into the sauce. You can transfer this to the fridge if you are prepping ahead, but if you are ready to make your pasta, proceed to the next step.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, season with a good amount of salt and boil your pasta.
- Once your pasta is cooked, you can transfer it directly to the pot of braised lamb, finishing with 1/4 cream, pasta water as needed, and 1/4 cup pecorino cheese to toss.
- If you only want to use some of the braise and save the rest, transfer however many lambs you want to a large skillet to warm through, add in your cooked pasta, toss with a dash of cream, a dash of pasta water as needed, and pecorino cheese.
- Serve in bowls with more pecorino cheese and chopped parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 1462mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 7mg