Lamb Ragu with Mint Pesto and Lemon Ricotta
If you are going to make one recipe of mine, I highly suggest you try this one out. This is such a wonderful and comforting dish that feels like you are eating out at a cozy restaurant surrounded by good company (and good wine, of course).
The slowly braised lamb ragu gets extremely tender and flavorful—thanks to cooking it a day ahead to let the flavors come together. The mint pesto complements the lamb beautifully, and the lemony ricotta cuts through the richness perfectly. Store-bought pappardelle (or homemade if that’s your thing), sops up every little last bite and helps round out a truly amazing meal. As I said before, the ragu, pesto, and ricotta can be made in advance of serving. This one is a winner.
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Ragu:
4 lbs of lamb shoulder chops, meat cut into 2-inch pieces
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
olive oil
3/4 cup finely diced carrots
3/4 cup finely diced celery
3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
3/4 cup finely diced leek
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 bay leaves
2 cups dry white wine (I use sauvignon blanc)
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup whole milk
Mint Pesto:
2 bunches of mint leaves
1 bunch of Italian parsley, leaves and tender stems
4 cloves of garlic, minced
zest of 4 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
kosher salt to taste
Lemony Ricotta:
2 cups whole milk ricotta
zest of 2 lemons
2 lbs of pappardelle
olive oil
freshly cracked black pepper
Method:
Ragu
Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper on both sides and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Pat the lamb dry and heat a few tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in the lamb and brown on both sides. Set the browned lamb aside on a separate plate.
Turn down the heat to medium and add all of the veggies and a pinch of salt to the dutch oven. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft—about 5 minutes.
Once the veggies are soft, add in the fennel, bay leaves, and white wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.
Add the lamb back in, as well as the stock and milk. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2.5 hours.
Give it a good stir when it comes out, and let it cool. Shred the lamb meat with two forks.
Place in an airtight container and let the flavors sit overnight. If you are in a rush, you are obviously welcome to just go ahead and serve this without letting it sit overnight.
Mint Pesto
Pulse together the mint, parsley, minced garlic, lemon zest/juice in a food processor. While the food processor is running, slowly stream in the olive oil until you have reached your desired consistency. Use more or less depending on what you like.
Remove from the processor and transfer to a bowl. Fold in the parmesan and add kosher salt to taste. Place in an airtight container in the fridge if making this ahead of time.
Lemon Ricotta
Simply whisk the ricotta and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Place in an airtight container in the fridge if making ahead of time.
Putting it all together
Saute the ragu over medium heat in a couple tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet to heat it back up.
Cook your pasta according to package directions.
Add about a cup of pasta water to the ragu.
Add pasta to the ragu and toss with tongs to coat the pasta. Simmer for a minute.
Serve the pasta with dollops of pesto and ricotta on top, a drizzle of finishing olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
