Lamb Ragu
This rich and savory Lamb Ragu sauce is perfect for special occasions or weeknights. It can hug some pasta noodles, cuddle up to a soft polenta, or relax with spiralized, mashed or riced vegetables. It takes only 30 minutes! It is also naturally Paleo and ketogenic, dairy-free, gluten-free as well as Whole 30.
In the case of pasta sauces, it is often beef or pork that is used instead of ground lamb. This ground lamb ragu deserves to be the star of any dinner table. The lamb is sweeter and softer than beef. When you combine it with onions, garlic and tomatoes, you’ll get a complex, rich sauce. While lamb in the U.S. and possibly elsewhere can be quite expensive, buying ground lamb is much cheaper. You can also use zucchini noodles or soft polenta for a lower-carb version.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive or avocado oil
- 13 cups diced shallots
- 14 teaspoons fine salt, divided plus more to your taste
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled & diced
- Anchovy paste 1 teaspoon
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- Ground lamb weighing 1 pound
- 1 Tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5) oz. Can whole peeled tomato
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 (8) oz. Can tomato sauce
- Two teaspoons dried mint
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 14 cup fresh mint chopped, divided
Serve with:
- 1 pound (16 oz. Gluten-free pastas, such as spaghetti, tagliatelle, or linguine
- Warm, soft polenta
- Riced or mashed veggies or veggie noodles
Lamb Ragu
Instruction
- Add oil to a 12-inch skillet or large pan over medium heat.
- Add the shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon to the pan once it is hot. salt. Stir the shallots occasionally for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent and soft.
- Stir for 30-60 secs until the paste melts into the mixture and the anchovy paste turns golden. Use the back of a spoon to spread the paste around.
- Add the lamb mince. As the meat browns, break it up into smaller and smaller pieces.
- Pour the whole tomatoes in their juices and the tomato can into a large bowl as the lamb browns. Hand-crush the tomatoes (be careful, as they squirt!) Then, chop them until they are a chunky texture. Pour the vinegar into the empty can, swirling it to get the last tomato juice and adding it to the tomatoes.
- After the lamb is browned, move it away from the center of the pan. Add the tomato paste to the pan. Stir the paste between 30-60 seconds, until it begins to darken.
- Add the tomato sauce, dried mint, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Salt and stir carefully. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and allow it to gently bubble for about 5-10 minutes until you have achieved your desired consistency. Here, we’re after a meat-based sauce with tomatoes and not just a tomato-based sauce that has some meat. Add salt if needed (I add an additional 1/8 teaspoon salt).
- Add 2 tablespoons fresh mint, and some black pepper. Serve the sauce over any of the suggested pairings and sprinkle the remaining mint on top.
How to make Lamb Ragu
This is the simplest ragu recipe you can find:
- Sauté your aromatics.
- Add the lamb and brown
- Add the paste of tomato to the pan and let it cook for one minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, and dried mint, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- You’re ready to go when you add the mint!
Lamb Ragu
This rich and savory Lamb Ragu sauce is perfect for special occasions or weeknights. It can hug some pasta noodle, cuddle up to a soft polenta or relax with spiralized, mashed or riced vegetables. It takes only 30 minutes!Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/3 cup shallots (diced)
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled & diced)
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5) oz can whole peeled tomato
- 1 tbsp balsamic Vinegar
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp dried mint
- freshly ground black pepper
- 14 cup fresh mint (chopped)
Serve with:
- 1 pound Gluten-free pastas, such as spaghetti, tagliatelle, or linguine
- Warm, soft polenta
- Riced or mashed veggies or veggie noodles
Instructions
- Add oil to a 12-inch skillet or large pan over medium heat.
- Add the shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon to the pan once it is hot. salt. Stir the shallots occasionally for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent and soft.
- Stir for 30-60 secs until the paste melts into the mixture and the anchovy paste turns golden. Use the back of a spoon to spread the paste around.
- Add the lamb mince. As the meat browns, break it up into smaller and smaller pieces.
- Pour the whole tomatoes in their juices and the tomato can into a large bowl as the lamb browns. Hand-crush the tomatoes (be careful, as they squirt!) Then, chop them until they are a chunky texture. Pour the vinegar into the empty can, swirling it to get the last tomato juice and adding it to the tomatoes.
- After the lamb is browned, move it away from the center of the pan. Add the tomato paste to the pan. Stir the paste between 30-60 seconds, until it begins to darken.
- Add the tomato sauce, dried mint, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Salt and stir carefully. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and allow it to gently bubble for about 5-10 minutes until you have achieved your desired consistency. Here, we're after a meat-based sauce with tomatoes and not just a tomato-based sauce that has some meat. Add salt if needed (I add an additional 1/8 teaspoon salt).
- Add 2 tablespoons fresh mint, and some black pepper. Serve the sauce over any of the suggested pairings and sprinkle the remaining mint on top.
