Lamb Ragu
Thick, meaty ragu with ground lamb in rich tomato sauce. A cozy, delicious lamb pasta recipe with long-cooked flavour in little time with 3 secret tricks.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Lamb Ragu
Servings: 6
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tsp coarse salt divided use
- 6 medium cloves garlic minced
- 1 kg (2.25 lb) ground lamb
- 2 ½ cups tomato puree
- 1 cup chicken broth
- torn fresh mozzarella optional
- torn fresh basil leaves optional
Heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onion, celery, carrot and 1 tsp salt. Cook until vegetables are soft and onion is starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute before adding lamb and remaining 1 tsp salt.
Cook until lamb renders its fat and browns, about 15 minutes. Don't rush this step, as it's a key flavour builder. Add tomato puree and cook until it turns a shade darker, another 10 minutes. Again, don't rush - this caramelizes the tomatoes and takes away the raw, acidic flavour. Stir in chicken broth, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook covered for 20 minutes.
Serve with torn mozzarella and fresh basil, if desired.