Braised Lamb Ragu

Why You Will Love This Lamb Ragu

• The flavor! This isn’t your typical italian meat sauce, it tastes so much fancier thanks to the rich sauce and fall apart tender shreds of meat. This is truly a step above any other pasta sauce i’ve ever had.
• It’s a great recipe to make a big batch of and store in the freezer to pull out on those cold winter nights when you are craving the ultimate comfort food, a big bowl of pasta. 
• This lamb ragù recipe is great to make for guests, it’s a rich and decadent meal and best of all you can make it a few days in advance and simply reheat it while the pasta cooks. 
• It’s a versatile recipe, you can cook it on the stove top and oven, or in a slow cooker or instant pot.  
• This Lamb Ragu is Whole30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.

Key Ingredients You Need To Make This Lamb Ragu

• Lamb: I recommend using lamb shoulder or a boneless leg of lamb. 
• Carrots, Celery & Onion: cut the carrots, celery and onion into very small diced pieces so that they melt into the sauce as they cook. 
• Mushrooms: I like using brown mushrooms but feel free to use white mushrooms, portobello or oyster. I like to dice them into very small pieces but feel free to cut them into larger slices if you want them to stand out more in the sauce.   
• Spices & Herbs: Unlike beef or pork ragu which usually only contain a few fresh herbs, this lamb ragu recipe also uses coriander and cumin which give the sauce a warm depth of flavor. 
• Red Wine: I would recommend using a full bodied red such as a Chianti, Merlot, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon. 
• Canned Tomatoes & Tomato Paste: I like buying cans of whole plum tomatoes rather than chopped tomatoes which are often made with worse quality tomatoes. 
• Beef Stock: Beef stock or lamb stock (which can be much harder to find) both work for this ragu recipe. I do not recommend using chicken stock as it does not have a rich enough flavor to match the lamb. 

How To Make This Lamb Ragu

1. Start by searing the cubed lamb in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (such as a large dutch oven) on medium-high heat. Transfer the browned lamb to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the celery, onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic, plus the kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander and fresh herbs to the pot and cook until the vegetables have softened. 
3. Add in the wine, beef stock and tomato paste and canned tomatoes and use the back of a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb to the pot and transfer to the oven to cook for 3 hours. 
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tender lamb pieces from the sauce and use two forks to shred them into pieces. I like to then use a potato masher to mash the vegetables, this helps to really thicken the sauce. Return the shredded lamb to the pot and serve over your favourite pasta (or vegetable pasta)

What To Serve With This Lamb Ragu?

This lamb ragu is such a show stopper that what you serve it on doesn’t make a huge difference. If you are doing a Whole30 or are on a grain free diet or low carb diet you might prefer using a vegetable pasta such as spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. Alternatively if you prefer using pasta, feel free to use any kind of pasta that you prefer. My favorite pasta shape to serve with this lamb ragu is pappardelle pasta but rigatoni or penne also work well. I like to serve the ragu sauce with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese overtop and red pepper flakes for a tiny kick of spice.