White Lamb Ragu Recipes

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.

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.

LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• In a large, lidded saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over a medium heat and brown the lamb all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan, reduce the heat to low and tip in the celery, carrot, onion and Italian seasoning. Mix well, then put the lid on and cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until the veg is soft but not golden. Add the garlic and bay leaves, stir, then cook for 1 min. Mix in the tomato purée and the chopped tomatoes (swill out the cans with a little water and add that as well), then the wine and lamb stock. Season well with salt and black pepper. Put the lid back on, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hr. Remove the lid and simmer gently for the final hour. At this point, you can leave to cool before chilling. Will keep chilled for three days or frozen for up to three months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight and heat through in a pan until piping hot before serving.
• To make the polenta, pour the milk into a saucepan with 300ml water and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Tip in the polenta or cornmeal with 1 tsp each salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 3-4 mins, whisking or stirring constantly until the polenta has thickened. Stir in the parmesan and butter, and mix again until the butter has melted and the polenta is smooth. Spoon onto plates or bowls, then top with the lamb ragu. Grate over extra parmesan, if you like.