Lamb Ragu – Ragù di Agnello

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With the same comfort and depth of flavour as a traditional ragù alla bolognese, this wonderful lamb ragu (or ragù di agnello, if you are being posh) is made with lamb and a fragrant collection of fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables. Tender, minced lamb is cooked slowly with soffritto, (a mix of onion, carrots and celery) some red pepper, white wine, fresh herbs and tomatoes. The resulting sweet sauce is balanced with some anchovies, a kick from the chilli and a delicious lift from fresh mint.

What is the best way to serve this delicious sauce?

This sauce works wonderfully with a wide pasta, such as pappardelle, and some ricotta salata crumbled over the top. Ricotta salata is a hard and salty cheese so you don’t need much of it. Unfortunately, unless you live near a specialist Italian delicatessen, it can be difficult to find in the UK. Feta cheese, however, would make a fine alternative. You could also use this sauce to make a delicious lamb lasagne.

How to make Lamb Ragu – Ragù di Agnello

Collect the ingredients together:

• minced/ground lamb
• olive oil, as necessary
• onion, peeled and roughly chopped 
• carrot, washed, trimmed, roughly chopped
• celery, washed, trimmed, roughly chopped
• red pepper, stem and seeds removed, washed, roughly chopped
• garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• anchovies
• chilli flakes
• fresh rosemary
• bay leaf
• dry white wine (or sub with water or stock)
• passata or chopped tinned tomatoes
• tomato puree
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• sugar or honey, to taste (You may not need any)
• fresh mint, picked and chopped

To serve:

• cooked pasta, I prefer a wide pasta, such as pappardelle
• ricotta salata – this is a hard and salty ricotta cheese. It is delicious crumbled and served over the pasta. Feta would be a great alternative if you can’t find any ricotta salata.

How to make this wonderful ragu:

1. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a pan you can use on the hob and in the oven. I use a cast iron pan. Heat over a moderately hot temperature and add the lamb, Cook until browned all over, breaking up the meat as you stir.
2. Whilst you are cooking the lamb, prepare the onion, carrot, celery, pepper and garlic. Tip into a food processor with the anchovies and blitz until finely chopped. If you prefer, you can chop the vegetables by hand.
3. The lamb will release a lot of fat as you cook it, which I like to remove. Line a colander with kitchen paper and sit this on a plate, also lined with kitchen paper. When the meat is cooked, tip it into the colander to absorb the fat. Leave a little fat, around 1 – 1½ tablespoons, in the pan to cook the vegetables.
4. Turn the heat to medium and add the vegetables, chilli flakes, rosemary and bay leaf. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes, until softened and very slightly caramelised.  
5. Add the wine and cook on high until reduced by half. Scrape up the delicious sticky residue left by cooking the lamb and vegetables, as the wine reduces.
6. Return the lamb to the pan and add the remaining ingredients, apart from the mint and sugar. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour, until the vegetables are very soft and the liquid has reduced a little. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little sugar, if necessary. Alternatively, simmer gently on the hob, with the lid on, over a low heat. Stir from time to time.
8. Remove the bay and rosemary and then stir in the fresh mint to taste. Serve with a wide pasta such as pappardelle and some crumbled ricotta salata.

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