Lamb Ragu

This is an Italian classic that I've had the idea to make this dish quite some time. I've been putting it off because it honestly sounded more difficult than it was. In the end, it was so worth it. The lamb and tomatoes go together so well, with the added crunch from the celery and carrots. The Romano cheese tops it off the sauce to add a creamy flavor.


The Recipe:

Lamb Ragu

• 1/2 Pound Ground Lamb
• 1 Small Onion - Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
• 1 Stalk of Celery - Diced
• 2 Carrots - Peeled and Diced
• 15 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Fresh Parsley - Chopped
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper
• Romano Cheese
• Rigatoni

To start, brown the lamb over medium heat. Remove the lamb from the pan when it just medium rare, leaving behind as much of the juices as you can. Add the olive oil to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Saute until the vegetables are wilted and add in the crushed tomatoes, white wine, ground lamb. I like to swirl the wine around in the tomato can to make sure I get all of the tomato juice out of the can. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the sauce reduce. Just before the pasta is done, add a few ladles of the pasta water to the sauce and let it reduce some more. Add in the parsley and let it reduce with the sauce. 

I mixed the pasta together with the sauce and then stirred in the Romano cheese. Pair the pasta with some garlic bread. 

For a few variations, sub the lamb with ground beef or pork. I'd like to try this again with some fresh pasta as well, maybe some pappardelle.