Chef Andrew Carmellini's Lamb Ragu

By TaratheFoodie

The most wonderful, slow cooked, comforting Italian dish with about 1,000 layers of flavor. A MUST cook.

Ingredients

• To finish the dish:
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb shoulder
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery rib, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 cup good quality Italian canned whole tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound gnocchi or the pasta of your choice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from tarathefoodie.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large stewpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb, breaking it apart into small bits as you drop it into the oil, and brown it over high heat, about 5 minutes. If the lamb releases a lot of liquid, so that the meat begins to steam instead of browning, just drain off the juice and put the pot back on the heat to start the browning process again.

Add the carrots, onion, and celery and mix well. Cook together over high heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Cook together until the mixture becomes a thick reddish mix, about 1 minute.

Add the red wine and stir to incorporate, making sure that no bits of meat or vegetables are sticking to the bottom. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape down the sides; you don't want bits of sauce to burn and flavor the whole ragu. Cook until the wine evaporates completely, about 2 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes and the stock or broth. Then add the bay leaves, cumin, coriander, fennel, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Scrape down the sides of the pot again.

Bring the mixture to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low to keep the ragu cooking at a simmer. Cook the lamb, uncovered, until the liquid evaporates and the flavors meld, about 1 1/2 hours. Continue scraping the sides of the pot at regular intervals to avoid burnt bits. The meat will turn dark brown and the liquid will turn a dark orange color as it cooks. When it's done, all the flavors will be melded, and the sauce will look like a sauce: dark brown, rich, thick, and textured.

To finish the dish:
Cook the pasta of your choice. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and stir together over the heat, adding the olive oil, butter, and mint to make it smooth and rich tasting on the tongue. Remove the pot from the heat, ladle the pasta and sauce into individual bowls, and top with the pecorino.