The Best Slow-Braised Lamb Ragu Recipe (2024)

This slow-cookedlamb raguhas an incredible flavor and rich sauce from simmering luxuriously tender lamb, tomato, red wine, and herbs. It's a show-stopping recipe, fit for a Sunday supper or date night, and perfect for serving with delicate ribbons of pasta.

I first fell in love with saucy, meaty ragus when visiting Florence, Italy. There, I enjoyed many delicious dishes, from ribollita topistachio gelato to cold fermented pizza dough. The most memorable dish, though, was pici al cinghiale, orpici pastawith Tuscan boar ragu.

The sauce was thick, robust, and meaty, with a subtle earthiness from a sprig of rosemary. From then on, I vowed to create a ragu with just as complex of a flavor, and while boar is not easily accessible around here, lamb indeed is. After several tests, I'm excited to share this delicious lamb ragu sauce with you!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

😋 It's so good. The savory notes of pancetta beautifully complement the tender, melt-in-your-mouth lamb shoulder, the tangy-sweet tomato sauce, and a subtle hint of spicy Calabrian chilies.

📝 It's well-tested.Ragu's aren't an everyday affair, and if you're going the extra mile to procure top-quality meat and dedicate a couple of hours to the kitchen, you'll want it to be worth every minute. Rest assured, I've painstakingly perfected this dish to ensure it's not just good but incredibly delicious.

💪 It's 100% doable.Having taught meat sauces invirtual and in-person cooking workshops, I've included the essential tips necessary for home cooks to succeed and master this recipe!

For more comforting stews, try my mushroom ragu, mushroom bourguignon, or shrimp cacciatore.

Lamb Sugo vs. Ragu

At Italian restaurants, I've found certain meat dishes to be called 'sugos' and others 'ragus'. Curious to determine whether my own recipe was a lamb sugo or a lamb ragu, I came across some interesting research:

• A ragu usually refers to an Italian meat sauce cooked with tomatoes and aromatics.
• Sugo derives from the word "succo", meaning juices, and often refers to the drippings leftover from cooking a large piece of meat. According to the blog Kitchen Encounters, a sugo is typically not as thick or complex as a ragu.
• That said, some of the differences are entirely regional. For example, in Florence, what we think of a ragu is actually labeled "sugo."

Based on this information, I landed on classifying this dish as a ragu, but the complexity of the etymology is nevertheless quite fascinating!

Ingredient Notes

Boneless Lamb Shoulder: Compared to a leg of lamb, lamb shoulder has a higher fat content, yielding a juicier texture. You'll want to trim off any excess fat, especially the thicker fat cap, but you can ask your butcher for help with this as well!

Calabrian Chili Paste: Calabrian chili paste offers a fruity, spicy heat, but ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes can also be used in a pinch. I like to use the paste in all sorts of Italian recipes, from my spicy Calabrian chili pasta to spicy vodka rigatoni.

Fresh Herbs: Fresh rosemary adds a nice, earthy flavor to this ragu, but I've experimented with other herbs like a bay leaf or sprig of fresh thyme as well.

Red Wine: Make sure to go with a dry red wine, like a Merlot, Malbec, or Pinot Noir.

Tomato Passata: Tomato passata, or tomato purée, forms the base of the sauce. I love using a homemade sauce when tomatoes are aplenty and store-bought versions in the winter. Mutti is my go-to brand.

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.

Serving Suggestions

Pasta is my go-to pairing with this sauce, but it works wonderfully with creamy mascarpone polenta or crusty bread, too!

Use your favorite pasta of choice here! I personally love using a longer pasta shape, like mafaldine pasta or pappardelle, but if you're up for a project, you could go with a homemade tagliatelle or ricotta gnocchi as well.

Topping: This ragu is plenty delicious on its own, but I like to top it with a dollop of lemony ricotta. Simply mix ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese with the zest of a lemon, and season with salt and pepper.

How to Make Lamb Ragu

Step 1 - Crisp the pancetta: Set a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate (Image 1).

Step 2 - Sear the lamb: Increase the flame to medium-high heat, and add the lamb in a single, even layer. Sear until *very* nicely browned (Image 2), then sear on the other side. Remove the from the pan onto a plate and set aside.

Step 3 - Cook the aromatics: Saute the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened, and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper (Image 3).

Step 4 - Deglaze with wine: Add the Calabrian chili paste, tomato paste, and rosemary. Saute for a couple of minutes until the tomato paste caramelizes nicely. Deglaze with a splash of red wine, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (Image 4).

Step 5 - Add the liquids and meat: Add the browned lamb with its juices, the pancetta, passata, water, a pinch of salt, and brown sugar (Image 5), and bring to a boil.

Step 6 - Stew: Cover and simmer for 1 hour at a gentle, constant bubble over low heat. Uncover and simmer for about an hour until the meat is tender (Image 6).

Step 7 - Shred the meat: Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then shred the meat with two forks or your hands (Image 7). Discard the rosemary sprig.

Step 8 - Serve: If serving with pasta, I recommend bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil while the sauce is cooling. Cook pasta until al dente, then toss in the ragu with a bit of pasta water until it clings nicely to the sauce (Image 8). Serve hot, and enjoy!

Expert Tip

To achieve that "all-day-slow-cooked-flavor", resist the urge to constantly stir the pot. Allowing the ingredients to brown and caramelize is essential for the Maillard reaction, which builds a complex flavor profile.

Constantly turning the lamb or stirring the tomato paste prevents this crucial process, and this is the number one mistake I've noticed in my cooking workshops with home cooks.

Instead, step away for a few minutes and let the ingredients work their magic. This simple act of patience allows some of the best flavors to develop naturally, ensuring your dish reaches its full potential.

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