Pasta With Braised Lamb Ragu Recipes

AMAZING SLOW-COOKED ITALIAN LAMB RAGOUT AND PASTA

Steps:

• Begin by heating the olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium high heat. Once heated (oil should be shimmering), add the meat and brown on all sides. You may have to do this in two batches.
• Once the meat is browned, throw in the onions, carrots, celery and herbs. Stir and continue cooking until the veggies are softened (takes about 7-10 minutes for me). Add garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic fragrance is lovely, but don't overcook.
• Next, take a sip of your wine to make sure it still tastes good (optional) and pour in the two glasses of red wine.
• Now, deglaze the bottom of your pan scraping up all those goodies.
• Cook the wine down until it is mostly evaporated. It will take a bit, depending on your stove maybe 20 minutes. It should smell and look terrific by now.
• Carefully add your plum tomatoes and stir slowly and softly so as not to break them up.
• Toss in the pearl barley (if using) and stir.
• Now, cover the pieces of meat with about a 1/2 inch of water.
• Remember that cartouche that you made, wet it and then rub with oil. Place in the pot on the surface, cover and cook on simmer for three hours.
• Next, carefully remove the lid and cartouche (place it on a plate). Give the sauce a stir and check your braised meat. The meat should be "fall apart" tender.
• Also, now is a good time to throw on the pot of pasta water.
• If your meat needs additional cooking time, re-cover with the cartouche and cook another 1/2 hour.
• Now, check your seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper as required.
• Place cooked meat in a bowl and cool slightly. Next, pull the meat apart using two forks until you get it the way you desire.
• While the meat cools, you may need to continue cooking with the ragout with the lid and cartouche off your pot to reduce the sauce to the consistency you wish.
• Stir your pulled meat back into your perfect sauce. Taste! Adjust seasonings if needed.
• Your sauce is ready and the Pasta is cooking, so toss in the butter and stir until the ragout is fully mixed and shiny.
• Then throw in the cheese stir and remove from the heat.
• Drain your pasta* (saving a cup of liquid) and slide it into the ragout, tossing the pasta with the sauce until mixed (add pasta water if needed).
• Finally, garnish with a little finely chopped fresh rosemary and Parmesan. Tuck in!

PASTA WITH BRAISED LAMB SHANK RAGù

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in 4-quart ovenproof casserole. Add pancetta, lightly brown and remove. Add lamb shanks, brown on all sides and remove. Lower heat; add onions, garlic and rosemary. Sauté until soft. Add white wine. Scrape pan, return pancetta and lamb to casserole, season with salt and pepper, then cover and bake 90 minutes, turning lamb once.
• Remove lamb from casserole. Cut meat from bones, trimming off fat and gristle. Finely dice meat and add to casserole. Add tomatoes and red pepper. Simmer on top of stove one hour. Check seasoning.
• Boil pasta until al dente, drain, toss with sauce, and serve with pecorino for dusting.

SWEET BRAISED LAMB PASTA

Steps:

• Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat the oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, to not overcrowd the pan, sear the shanks on all sides until deep brown, about 7 minutes. Remove the shanks to a plate and add the port. Bring to a simmer, scraping any brown bits off bottom of pan and reduce by 1/3. Add the mulling spices, wrapped in cheesecloth or in a muslin tea bag. Return shanks to the pot, adding water if needed, to cover the meat. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the shanks to a cutting board and let rest. Discard the mulling spices. Simmer the braising liquid until reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water, about 4 minutes. Pull the meat from the bones, chop it and add it to the sauce. Drain the pasta, and add it to the meat and sauce. Toss and serve immediately. Enjoy!

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to platter. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic, basil, rosemary and crushed red pepper to pot and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add wine and boil until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups beef stock and tomatoes to pot; return to boil.
• Cover pot, transfer to oven and bake until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Using tongs, transfer lamb to large bowl. Cool 10 minutes. Cut meat off bones into generous 1/2-inch pieces (discard bones). Return meat to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and fennel and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the lamb, garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 8 minutes, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, 2 cups of the wine, the oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of red wine.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and the rigatoni and cook according to the directions on the package, until barely al dente. Drain.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the rigatoni and toss well. Grate half of the mozzarella on a box grater and add it to the rigatoni mixture. Add the lamb mixture, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and toss well.
• Transfer to a 10-by-14-by-2-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Slice the remaining mozzarella and arrange it on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is hot and bubbling and some of the pasta is crusty on top. Serve hot.