Lamb Ragu with Rigatoni is a hearty dish full of comforting flavor. Red wine, rosemary, tomato, carrots, and lamb are braised in a Dutch oven for hours allowing the flavors to create a perfect union before being tossed with al dente pasta and topped with copious amounts of Parmigiano Reggiano!
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lamb shoulder trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks or ground lamb
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 medium onion diced
3 ounces tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock
1 28 ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 pound rigatoni
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated, for finishing
1 cup reserved pasta water will most likely not need it all
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300f and move racks to make enough room to accommodate a large Dutch oven pot in the middle of the oven.
Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat. After the pot is hot add the olive oil. Season the lamb pieces with salt and pepper on all sides then add to the pot. Sear the lamb in batches to avoid overcrowding. Place the seared lamb on a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and saute until the veggies are very soft (about 12-15 minutes).
Next, add in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the wine and beef stock and turn heat to medium. Using a wooden spoon scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
After cooking the wine for 3 minutes, add the plum tomatoes and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Once simmering add the lamb pieces to the pot, stir, then turn off and cover. Cook the ragu in the oven until tender (about 3 hours).
Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt) and cook the rigatoni until very al dente. While the pasta is boiling taste test the ragu and make final adjustments to salt and pepper.
Heat a large pan to medium-low heat and add in 2 cups of the lamb ragu. Add the pasta to the pan and cook for 1-2 more minutes until al dente mixing well to thoroughly coat the pasta.
If the pasta is too dry add more of the ragu but try to not over-sauce. If the pasta seems a little dry add a bit of reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Serve plated with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and the remaining ragu on the side.
Notes:
– Ground lamb can be subbed for the whole lamb shoulder. If using, the veggies can be sauteed first on medium-low, then add the lamb and cook until brown. I prepared it this way on the attached video. You will get the same results either way. Ground lamb tends to have more fat than the trimmed shoulder so you can remove some of the fat by spooning it out before adding the tomatoes.
– Making the ragu 24 hours in advance and refrigerating overnight will yield even better flavor. If doing so, you can remove some of the fat that will rise to the top with a spoon after being chilled.
