Lamb Ragu

Published on December 27, 2021 | By
lamb ragu 2

I am always looking for comfort food, especially during these long winter evenings. Ragu is a meat and tomato-based sauce with red wine and herbs served over pasta. In this case, the meat is ground lamb for lamb ragu. The secret to a delicious ragu is long slow cooking so that the flavors mingle to create a complex and flavorful sauce.

Chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic are simmered until tender. Tomato paste and whole canned Italian tomatoes are added to the sautéed vegetables. Red wine is added to the mixture with fragrant herbs such as fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme, and parsley to complete the aromatic sauce.

After the ragu comes to a boil, reduce the heat and barely simmer for 1-2 hours. The lamb ragu only gets better as it continues to gently simmer allowing the flavors to commingle and become more complex.

Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta such as linguini or fettuccine to serve with the ragu. Before serving, check the seasoning for the lamb ragu sauce and adjust as needed. Add more salt, a touch of sugar, and more herbs if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to thin the sauce until you achieve desired consistency.

Serve the lamb ragu with a side salad such as my kale salad with creamy caesar dressing or green salad with kumquats and citrus dressing.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup fruity red wine
  • 1 -28 oz can of chopped Italian roma tomatoes
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tsp of dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 TBSP fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup of water as needed
  • 1 lb ground lamb

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables and cook until soft for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add tomato paste, reduce heat and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
  3. Add ground lamb and cook for about 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until cooked through.
  4. Add the red wine and turn heat up, cooking until the wine has been reduced and most of the liquid has cooked out of the mixture.
  5. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water. Add fresh and dried herbs and spices. Mix in sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Bring the ragu to a boil then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. It only gets better with time.
  7. Check seasonings and adjust as needed. You may want to thin the sauce with a little more water. Adjust salt and sugar as needed.
  8. Serve over your favorite pasta and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
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