Lamb RagÙ Food

BAKED RIGATONI WITH LAMB RAGù

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and fennel and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the lamb, garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 8 minutes, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, 2 cups of the wine, the oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of red wine.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and the rigatoni and cook according to the directions on the package, until barely al dente. Drain.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the rigatoni and toss well. Grate half of the mozzarella on a box grater and add it to the rigatoni mixture. Add the lamb mixture, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and toss well.
• Transfer to a 10-by-14-by-2-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Slice the remaining mozzarella and arrange it on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is hot and bubbling and some of the pasta is crusty on top. Serve hot.

LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• Chop or crush tomatoes.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent.
• Boil water for pasta.
• Add lamb to onion, breaking up clumps. Cook until no longer red, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes to lamb and onions. Simmer.
• (This is where you can stop and freeze for a couple of weeks or keep covered in fridge for a few days. If you do this, reheat and then continue from here.).
• Boil pasta (I think fresh would be good, too).
• Add cream, or half-and-half or milk to lamb/tomato pan. Salt and pepper as needed. Cook until sauce is thick, but not dry.
• Drain pasta and toss with sauce some cheese. Serve extra cheese at the table.

SPICY LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil (2 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lamb, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper and cook, breaking the meat into crumbles as it browns. Add the rosemary, thyme, onions, carrots, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, orange zest strip and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the milk and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, to let the meat absorb the milk, about 15 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, partially cover, and continue to cook and reduce for 15 minutes. Add the stock and olives. Hand crush the tomatoes into the pot, then add the juices from the can. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes more to cook down the tomatoes and thicken the sauce. Fish out and discard the orange zest strip, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Adjust the seasoning.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Keep warm.
• Mix the mint, parsley, pistachios and some grated orange zest together in a small bowl.
• Toss the ragu, reserved cooking water, pecorino, olive oil and cooked pasta together. Serve in bowls topped with fresh ricotta and sprinkle the herb-pistachio mixture over the top to garnish.

LAMB RAGU

Steps:

• In a heavy pot, heat the fat or oil until it just begins to shimmer. Add onions and sweat gently until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground lamb and spices. Cook, stirring often, until lamb is no longer pink and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine, the tomatoes (with their juices), and the stock. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover partially and cook until liquid is reduced, 25-30 minutes.