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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu

    Published: Aug 26, 2021 · Modified: Nov 5, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This authentic Italian slow-cooked Lamb Ragu recipe is super easy to make and packed with flavors everyone will love. It is rich, hearty, and meaty-ultimate comfort food for lazy weekends or special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter.

    braised lamb ragu served with pasta

    And it goes perfectly with pasta (of your choice), gnocchi or polenta, and a glass of red wine!

    Jump to:
    • What is Ragu?
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Slow-Cooked Lamb Ragu?
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Top Tips From The Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu

    This cosy and comforting dish is also a great way to use up any leftover lamb meat you have from your Sunday lunch or Christmas dinner. Serve this braised lamb ragu with some crusty garlic bread to mop up every last bit of the delicious sauce.

    What is Ragu?

    Ragu is a classic meat-based Italian sauce usually served with pasta. The type of meat can be minced/ chopped pork, lamb, beef, chicken, or duck.

    The meat is usually braised with some vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes, and carrots), some stock (lamb, beef, or chicken), and aromatics (rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves) low and slow.

    The most famous ragu is the Bolognese Sauce and it is usually served with pasta or used as a filling for Lasagna.

    a bowl of slow cooked lamb ragu mixed with pasta

    Why This Recipe Works

    • This Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu recipe is very easy to follow with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
    • It makes the perfect meal for a lazy Sunday lunch with a minimum of preparation.
    • You can use leftover lamb from your roast dinner to make this delicious braised Lamb Ragu.
    • It's hearty, delicious, and full of Mediterranean flavors.
    • The leftovers of Lamb Ragu freeze beautifully. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months!

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for slow cooked lamb ragu

    What Part Of Lamb is Best For Ragu?

    I use lamb shoulder for this recipe but you can use any other part of the lamb as long as they are marbled with some fat. You can cut your lamb chunkier to avoid extra hard work but make sure you cook long enough to achieve a "fall-apart" texture for the meat.

    Alternatively, you can use ground lamb or leftover roast lamb as well. Just make sure you reduce the cooking time to one hour and only use half the amount of liquid.

    Other ingredients for lamb ragu are:

    • Garlic - For a less garlicky flavor you can use whole garlic and discard it after browning with oil but I prefer chopping and letting it cook together with the lamb.
    • Tomatoes - Any type of tomatoes you have in hand works well with this recipe. I even use cherry tomatoes if that's all I have in the fridge.
    • Tomato paste - It is a great ingredient to enhance the tomato flavor as well as give a bright color and umami taste to the dish.
    • Dry white wine - Red meat generally requires red wine but this recipe works perfectly with white wine or vermouth. Use any type of white wine that you would happily drink.
    • Stock - A good homemade chicken stock is a key to delicious ragu. You need a small amount of liquid if your lamb is diced small. Add extra stock if you cut your lamb chunkier.
    • Cheese - Use your favorite hard cheese but pecorino or parmesan are the best options for pasta dishes. Try and avoid ready-grated cheese as it contains preservatives and they don't melt together as well when cooking.

    How to Make Slow-Cooked Lamb Ragu?

    Making this comforting dish is very easy and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Brown the Meat

    Heat a large wok or heavy-based pan on low heat then add olive oil, garlic and bay leaves. Sauté until the garlic slightly turns brown.

    Sautéing the bay leaves and garlic with oil

    Turn the heat up, add the lamb and sauté until brown. You can skip browning the meat if you are using leftover lamb for your ragu sauce.

    Browning the lamb

    Simmer The Sauce

    Pour the dry white wine into the pan and reduce until syrupy consistency. Add the sweet red peppers and chilli (if using), then sauté for a few minutes.

    chilies and red peppers are added to the lamb

    Stir in the tomato paste then add the chopped tomatoes, black pepper, salt and stock. Bring the pan to a boil and lower the heat.

    tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and seasoning are added to the lamb

    Gently simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and there is hardly any liquid in the pan.

    lamb ragu is cooked for 2 hours

    Serve

    When the sauce is ready, cook your choice of pasta al dente. Don't cook the pasta all the way as it will cook extra few more minutes with the ragu which will help the sauce comes together with the pasta.

    Add some pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add chopped parsley, stir well and serve with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.

    braised lamb ragu is served on pasta and garnished with parsley and parmesan

    Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!

    Serving Suggestions

    Although it is more common to serve Lamb Ragu with pappardelle, I love serving this hearty sauce with pasta, such as penne, rigatoni, or tortiglioni as the meaty chunks are easily mopped up by tube-shaped pasta.

    You can also serve this versatile sauce on a bowl of Pomme Puree (Creamy Mashed Potatoes) along with some green salad such as Beetroot and Feta Salad, Lebanese Fattoush Salad, or Rocket Salad With Parmesan.

    Top Tips From The Chef

    • If the sauce is too thick, you can simply add a bit of water or stock to loosen it up.
    • Don't cook the pasta all the way as it will cook extra few more minutes with the ragu.
    • You can use leftover lamb meat for this recipe. Just make sure you reduce the cooking time to one hour and only use half the amount of liquid.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I prepare lamb ragu in advance?

    Yes, you can cook braised lamb ragu 2-3 days beforehand and keep it refrigerated. You then just need to warm the sauce up and mix it with freshly cooked pasta or gnocchi when you need it. It tastes even better when reheated!

    What meat for lamb ragu?

    The best cut for lamb ragu is the shoulder which is perfect for slow cooking. The marbling adds lots of rich flavor to the ragu sauce and ensures that the meat stays juicy after long cooking. Legs of lamb or neck fillets are also suitable for ragu sauce.

    Can I freeze lamb ragu sauce?

    Yes, this lamb ragu sauce is suitable for freezing so why not doubling the recipe? Simply place the sauce in an airtight container already portioned and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan slowly until piping hot, then serve with freshly cooked pasta.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious lamb recipes why not try:

    • Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder
    • Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole)
    • Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte
    • Turkish Lamb Stew with Chickpeas

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu served with pasta as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu

    Ayla Clulee
    This authentic Italian slow-cooked Lamb Ragu recipe is super easy to make and packed with flavors everyone will love. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 565 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Lodge Dutch oven
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 cheese grater
    • 1 Rubber spatula
    • 1 Sharp knife

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 300 g shoulder of lamb (1 cm cubes)
    • 1 cup dry white wine or ½ cup vermouth
    • 2 sweet red peppers (approx 150 grams) (sliced)
    • 1 chili (red or green - optional) (chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 3 tomatoes (approx 300 grams) (chopped)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup chicken or lamb stock (120 ml)
    • ⅓ cup chopped parsley
    • 400 g pasta (of your choice)
    • grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (to garnish)

    Instructions
     

    • Heat a large wok or heavy-based pan on low heat, add olive oil, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the garlic slightly turns brown.
    • Add the lamb and sauté until brown.
    • Add the dry white wine and reduce until syrupy consistency then add the peppers and chili (if using), and sauté for a few minutes.
    • Stir in the tomato paste then add the tomatoes, black pepper, salt, and stock.
    • Bring the pan to a boil, lower the heat and gently simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and there is hardly any liquid left in the pan.
    • When the sauce is ready, cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the packaging and add to the lamb ragu.
    • Add some pasta water if the sauce is too thick and add chopped parsley, stir well and serve with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.

    Notes

    • If the sauce is too thick, you can simply add a bit of water or stock to loosen it up.
    • Don't cook the pasta all the way as it will cook extra few more minutes with the ragu.
    • You can use leftover lamb meat for this recipe. Just make sure you reduce the cooking time to one hour and only use half the amount of liquid.
    • You can cook braised lamb ragu 2-3 days beforehand and keep it refrigerated. Simply warm the sauce up and mix it with freshly cooked pasta or gnocchi when you need it.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 565kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 705mgPotassium: 824mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2697IUVitamin C: 90mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      September 10, 2021 at 5:51 am

      5 stars
      The ideal comfort food , looks delicious

      Reply
    2. Tanya

      March 25, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      Everyone loved it and hubby asked for it again! Simply delicious 😋.

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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