Spicy Lamb Ragu Recipes

QUICK LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
• Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.

SPICY LAMB RAGU RECIPE

Steps:

• Lightly pat the lamb dry with a paper towel and season generously on all sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat a bit of oil up over medium high heat. When hot, add the lamb and sear until a very deep brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
• If the pan is dry, add a bit more oil then add the pancetta and brown. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until soft, but not brown. Stir in the cumin and red pepper flakes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by about half. Stir in the tomato paste.
• Add the lamb back into the pot, along with the stock bring to a gentle simmer, turn down the heat, partially cover and braise for 2 hours, or until the lamb is pull apart fork tender.
• Remove the lamb, let cool and shred. Add back to the pot and taste and adjust seasoning.
• I served this with fresh tagliatelle and peas, but it will taste delicious over any pasta, rice, or grain.

SPICY LAMB BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and oil and warm until the butter is melted. Add the carrots, celery, onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but have no color, about 6 minutes. Add the beef and lamb and cook, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato paste, chili paste, red pepper flakes and garlic into the meat mixture. Cook the tomato paste, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk is almost entirely evaporated, about 20 minutes.
• Add the wine, bay leaf, Parmesan rind, tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low to just maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim the oil from the surface.
• Spoon the sauce over the Creamy Polenta with Spinach, reserving any extra to serve on the side. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled over the top and a drizzle of olive oil.
• In a Dutch oven, bring the chicken broth, oil, garlic and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the polenta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone, pecorino and butter. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Fold in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes longer. Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture gets too thick.
• Pour the polenta onto a large board or platter. Serve with grated Parmesan over the top.

SPICY RAGU MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220degrees Celsius.
• Slice the eggplants in 2cm thick slices.
• Coat each slice using the 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• Lay the slices on a tray and add salt and pepper.
• Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside. Turn oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Meanwhile, chop the onions and garlic finely.
• Peel and slice the carrots into discs.
• Heat some olive oil in a heavy based pan.
• Fry the onions and garlic til translucent.
• Add the lamb and brown.
• Add the cinnamon, cardamom powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and paprika and coat the lamb pieces.
• Add the jar of passata and the red wine and bring to boil.
• Add the carrots.
• Add the bayleaf and parsley.
• Simmer on a very low heat for several hours until the lamb is very tender and falls apart in the stew. Keep checking regularly, stirring, and adding water if necessary. (The end result has to be a thick stew).
• To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Add the flour and stirfry for a minute or two.
• Remove from heat and slowly stir in milk.
• Add all the cheese and return to heat.
• Slowly heat until thickened.
• Add the egg, cook for a further few minutes.
• Add the nutmeg and some salt and pepper to taste and then remove from heat.
• To assemble the dish, pour the ragu into the bottom of a casserole dish.
• Add the slices of eggplant as the next layer.
• Pour white sauce over the eggplant.
• Sprinkle breadcrumbs over white sauce.
• Add knobs of butter on breadcrumbs if you like.
• Bake for about 40 minutes.
• Let stand for 15 minutes then serve.