Slow-Cooked Lamb Ragu
Rich, comforting and savoury, this slow-cooked lamb dish is made for cosy nights in. Tender pieces of lamb are gently braised in tomatoes, red wine and aromatics until they melt into a luscious sauce, perfect for tossing through pasta.
How long will it take?
2 hours 20 minutes
What’s the serving size?
4
What do I need?
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 800 g diced lamb
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 mL dry red wine
- 400 g tin crushed tomatoes
- 250 mL lamb or beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped
- 1 small sprig rosemary
To serve
- 400 g pasta
- Parmesan, grated
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
How do I make it?
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb well with salt and pepper, then brown in batches until well coloured. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining olive oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly coloured. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in red wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom on the pot. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
- Return lamb to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, oregano and rosemary. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender and the sauce is thick and rich.
- Remove bay leaf and rosemary. Taste lamb and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain. Toss pasta through the ragu, loosening with a splash of the pasta water if needed.
- Divide ragu among bowls and serve topped with Parmesan and parsley.
