Slow-Braised Italian Lamb Ragu Pasta
ID: e9c223bc...
A rich, slow-braised Italian pasta sauce featuring tender, fall-apart leg of lamb and lamb shanks simmered in a deeply flavorful red wine and tomato gravy. Perfect when tossed with wide pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle and topped with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Render the pancetta, remove it, and sear seasoned lamb leg and shanks in the rendered fat until deeply browned. → Caramelize the diced onions, then sweat the carrots, celery, and garlic under a closed lid for 12-13 minutes. → Deglaze with red wine, reduce it almost completely, cook down the tomato paste, then stir in the tomato puree, beef stock, herbs, cheese rind, and pancetta. → Braise the lamb in the covered sauce at 325°F (or simmer on stovetop) for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender. → Skim off excess fat, shred the tender lamb in the pot, finish with lemon juice, and toss with cooked pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Render the pancetta, remove it, and sear seasoned lamb leg and shanks in the rendered fat until deeply browned. → Caramelize the diced onions, then sweat the carrots, celery, and garlic under a closed lid for 12-13 minutes. → Deglaze with red wine, reduce it almost completely, cook down the tomato paste, then stir in the tomato puree, beef stock, herbs, cheese rind, and pancetta. → Braise the lamb in the covered sauce at 325°F (or simmer on stovetop) for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender. → Skim off excess fat, shred the tender lamb in the pot, finish with lemon juice, and toss with cooked pasta and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Introduction
A rich, slow-braised Italian pasta sauce featuring tender, fall-apart leg of lamb and lamb shanks simmered in a deeply flavorful red wine and tomato gravy. Perfect when tossed with wide pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle and topped with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Step 1
Heat a large rondo pot over low-to-medium heat and add the diced pancetta. Render the fat and cook until the pancetta is brown and crispy (about 7 to 8 minutes).
Step 2
Remove the netting from the boneless leg of lamb and cut it into smaller, roughly 8 oz pieces so that it cooks evenly with the lamb shanks.
Step 3
Pat all the lamb leg pieces and lamb shanks completely dry on all sides with paper towels, then season them generously with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Remove the crispy pancetta from the pot, leaving the rendered fat inside, and boost the stovetop heat to medium.
Step 5
Once the pancetta fat starts to lightly smoke, add the seasoned lamb pieces to the pot. Sear on all sides until deeply browned (about 3 to 4 minutes per side), then transfer the meat to a clean plate.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
Using a mix of boneless leg of lamb and bone-in lamb shanks is a key technique; the shank bone releases marrow and collagen, thickening the sauce and giving it a luxurious mouthfeel.
Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Ensure you pat the meat thoroughly dry with paper towels before seasoning and searing.
Tying your fresh herbs into a bouquet garni bundle using kitchen twine keeps your sauce clean and saves you from hunting for loose twigs and bay leaves later.
Adding a hard cheese rind like Parmigiano-Reggiano is an excellent, zero-waste Italian trick to naturally emulsify and infuse deep umami savoriness into slow-cooked sauces.
Finishing heavy, rich, meat-based sauces with a hit of fresh lemon juice at the very end beautifully cuts through the fat and balances the overall flavor.
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