Lamb Ragu with Papardelle

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Lamb Ragu with Papardelle is a lush, comforting pasta recipe fit for a special occasion, but easy enough for an everyday meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil ((divided))
• ½ white onion
• 2 large shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 lb ground lamb
• ½ cup good red wine
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small bundle of fresh thyme sprigs ( plus more for serving)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and black pepper
• parmigiano Reggiano cheese for grating
• 1 lb papardelle pasta

Method

1. Finely chop the onion, shallots, carrot and celery. Mince the garlic.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and saute the vegetables for about 20 minutes, until they are softened. Stir often. If they dry out during cooking, add a little more oil. Don't brown them.
3. Add the lamb to the pot and cook until browned. Break up the meat with the back of your spoon until it is finely crumbled. When the meat is browned, add the wine, tomato sauce, and paste, and stir to combine everything well.
4. Add the bay leaves and thyme and bring up to a simmer. Cover and cook, over low heat, for 90 minutes. Stir every once in a while, and make sure your pot is gently simmering...not too furiously. Add a little water along the way if the sauce seems too thick.
5. Season the sauce at this point. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Then add the vinegar, also to taste. Remove the bay leaves and the stalks of the thyme, the leaves will have fallen off.
6. When you are ready to serve, reheat the sauce, if necessary, and add at least 2 tablespoons worth of fresh thyme leaves.
7. Cook the papardelle according to the package directions.
8. Serve the sauce over the pasta, with Parmesan cheese and a few extra thyme leaves.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island