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Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu is hearty, warming and full of big flavors and aromas. Meaty and juicy lamb shoulder is seared then slowly simmered in a rich red wine and tomato broth with pancetta, fresh rosemary, saffron and lots of aromatics until fall-apart tender.
It’s then shredded and tossed with peas, pecorino cheese and your favorite pasta for a different kind of Italian meat sauce. Read on for more!
I admit to having a special love for all things slow cooked and rustic–real soul-warming food. And this braised lamb sugo tops the list along with my brisket ragu, pork rib sugo and wild boar bolognese! It’s the texture and intense flavor that seals the deal for me.
The richness from the several hour-braised ragu with red wine along with its fork-tender texture and hearty flavor all add up to this really being the food that pasta dreams were made of! Seriously. If you love lamb like I do, run, don’t walk, to the butcher and make this lamb sugo recipe this weekend!
Like my lamb meatballs, this recipe was inspired by my roots in Abruzzo and Sicily (two Italian regions where lamb (“agnello” in Italian) is very popular). It calls for a tough cut of meat that’s suited to a low- and slow-cooking process. As shoulders are used a lot and well-exercised, it’s perfect for the braising technique used here. The lamb meat is broken down into the perfect, shreddable texture that clings beautifully to the hearty pasta.
Plus, like my slow cooked lamb shoulder recipe, the meat becomes deeply flavorful and incredibly moist simmered for hours in all those wonderful sauce flavors!
Great for Sunday dinners or large dinner parties, holidays (especially Easter) and a definite crowd-pleaser, this slowly braised lamb ragu with pasta is a perfect make-ahead, foolproof recipe with built-in leftovers!
And, while optional, I suggest serving this luscious lamb pasta ragu and peas with some ricotta as a creamy final touch. Either top the pasta with it on the serving platter or serve it on the side to be dolloped onto plates individually. Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
We’ll need the following ingredients for this lamb ragu recipe:
- Lamb Shoulder: The star ingredient of the recipe! I started with untrimmed, boneless lamb shoulder, but try to purchase it already trimmed of large pieces of fat and silver skin if possible to save time. Pre-sliced, thick slices of lamb shoulder steak or lamb stew meat can also be used in this recipe, as can bone-in lamb shoulder (but it will take longer to cook!)
- Pancetta: This is basically unsmoked Italian bacon and adds fat, flavor, saltiness and texture to the dish. While the pancetta really is a nice touch, if you have all the other ingredients for this recipe except it, just make it without the pancetta. Then just use olive oil or butter to sauté the vegetables.
- Onions, Carrots, Celery, Garlic, Fresh Rosemary: These aromatics are all important flavor builders that complement and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. While I do not use them in this recipe, some people like to add fresh bay leaves to the braising liquid–they are a great addition!
- Tomato Paste: Adds umami, tomato-ness and acid to the sauce. Caramelize it for a few minutes in the hot pan before adding other ingredients.
- Saffron: Saffron spice is derived from the stigma of the crocus flower, hand-picked one-by-one. It has a subtly sweet, hard-to-pin-down “je ne sais quoi” flavor and is a stunning ability to transform dishes. Although it is quite expensive, a little goes a long way! If you don’t already have some in your pantry, you can just leave this out. (Saffron is also the star ingredient in my delicious aioli recipe.)
- Red Wine: Choose a dry red wine for this recipe, such as a cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chianti or merlot. The wine adds depth and complexity, brings a layer of acidity to the dish, rounds out the overall flavor of the sauce and creates a beautiful aroma to boot! If you prefer to not use alcohol, though, you can use chicken broth or stock.
- Broth: Use a low- or no-sodium chicken broth as the base for this hearty sauce. Even better, use homemade if you have it!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds some final richness to the pasta. Use a high quality oil for this finishing step.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese: The incredible sharpness and savoriness of Pecorino Romano cheese is just what the sauce needs to round out its flavors. But, Parmigiano-Reggiano would be just as delicious here!
- Peas: Peas are an optional ingredient in the finished pasta dish, but I love them here for so many reasons–flavor, texture, color + they add the perfect amount of spring to pair with spring lamb!
- Pasta: I used chunky paccheri pasta here, but this lamb ragu works well with all sorts of short and long shapes of pasta. Some of my other favorites to use in this recipe are pappardelle, gnocchi, ziti, penne rigate and rigatoni.
How to Make Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Dice the onions, carrots, celery and pancetta. Chop the garlic and rosemary. Trim the meat if necessary and cut down into 3″ chunks. Pat the lamb pieces dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle all sides of the lamb with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Carefully add as many lamb pieces as will fit on the surface of the pot and sear them on multiple sides until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pot. Remove the lamb to a plate once seared and set aside.
- PRO-TIP: Resist from turning the lamb pieces over multiple times. Be patient and let each side brown well, then turn the piece over.
- Turn heat to low, then use a paper towel with tongs to soak up and remove excess oil from the pot.
- Next, cook the pancetta. Increase heat to medium-low, add pancetta to the pot and cook it slowly, rendering out some of the fat and until it starts to crisp. Transfer pancetta from the pot to the lamb plate.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to coat with the fat. Cook until the vegetables have mostly softened, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Move the veggies over to one side of the pot and add the tomato paste. Caramelize it for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, pour the wine in and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits.
- Add the broth and saffron and stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
- Carefully return the reserved lamb and pancetta to the pot, along with any accumulated juices, nestling the pieces in the broth and vegetables. Increase the heat to medium, cover and bring the mixture to a rolling simmer. Then, immediately turn the heat down to medium-low to achieve a low simmer and cover the pot, leaving it slightly ajar.
- Let the mixture simmer about 2½ to 3 hours or until the lamb is fork tender and able to be shredded very easily. Stir the mixture every 20 minutes or so, turning the lamb pieces over. If necessary, add additional broth.
- When finished, remove from heat and, using 2 forks or tongs, gently break the lamb down into smaller pieces.
- If you plan on enjoying the ragu immediately, I suggest using a fat separator for the sauce to remove much of the rendered lamb fat.
- However, if you’re going to use it 1 to 2 days later, I suggest refrigerating the shredded lamb and lamb ragu sauce separately. This will allow the rendered lamb fat to rise to the top and be easily removed and discarded. Then, combine the meat with the sauce for the finished ragu.
- When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and reheat the ragu in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add a little bit of water to the ragu to help loosen it.
- Add salt, then the pasta, to the boiling water, stirring frequently. At the same time, add the peas to the ragu and stir well.
- Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the braised lamb sugo and peas and increase the heat to medium. Toss well. Allow the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture, about ½ cup at a time.
- Once the pasta is al dente, remove the pan from the heat. Then gently stir in the pecorino cheese (or some grated parmesan) and drizzle with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve the lamb pasta immediately. I love including a bowlful of room temperature ricotta on the table for people to add to the pasta as desired. Buon Appetito!
Check out my answer to “How Much Salt Should You Add to Pasta Water?” here, as featured in Appetito’s online Italian Food and Drink Magazine. (Hint: I also mention it in the recipe below.)
More Delicious Hearty Pasta Recipes
If you like this slowly cooked lamb ragu recipe, check out these others:
If you love peas, also check out these recipes: Easy Italian Pasta e Piselli, Lemony Pasta with Peas and Ricotta, Tortellini alla Panna with Ham and Peas, Crispy Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Paglia e Fieno Pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe represents a basic ragu braising technique that can be used with any tough cut of meat, such as pork shoulder, beef brisket or short ribs, pork country ribs or wild boar.
For an alternative to lamb shoulder, lamb leg can be used. But note that lamb leg does not contain as much fat and marbling as leaner and firmer lamb leg. Lamb shoulder produces a richer flavor and more tender ragu than lamb leg.
Yes, this lamb ragu/sauce can definitely be made in a slow cooker (without the pasta). Before adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, I suggest searing the lamb shoulder pieces in a separate hot skillet. Searing locks in a ton of delicious flavor and creates the most delicious crust on the outside. Also, crisp the pancetta in a separate pan as well. Then, mix the lamb, pancetta and other ingredients together and add them to the slow cooker with the wine and broth, cover and set on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours or until the lamb is fall-apart tender.
Be sure to also deglaze the pan to capture the flavor from the brown bits left by the seared meat. Add these brown bits to the slow cooker as well.
The pasta itself should be cooked separately in a pot of salted boiling water.
The ragu can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or freezer for up to three months.
I generally make this sauce 2 to 3 days in advance of when I’m serving it. The flavors develop well and any excess fat rises to the top and can be skimmed off before reheating.
When ready to serve, defrost the ragu in the refrigerator. Then, reheat it in a covered skillet, thinned with a little bit of water as needed to reach desired consistency.
Yes. Just sub in the same amount of chicken broth for the wine.
It really is best to sear the meat before slow cooking it in the flavored liquid. By caramelizing the meat’s surface, more rich, complex flavor is developed through the Maillard reaction–when proteins and sugars react creating new flavor compounds. Both these flavor compounds and the meat’s brown crust add depth and richness to the final dish.
Not to mention the flavor that the “fond” (the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) contributes once it is loosened and deglazed into the sauce.
A ragù, in general, is a hearty, Italian meat sauce, typically served with pasta. Generally, tougher cuts of meat are browned, immersed in a braising liquid (wine and/or tomato-based) and then cooked on a low heat over a long period of time. Once cooked, the meat is removed from the sauce and classically served in a separate course, while the sauce is served with pasta for the first part of the meal. Here, I have alternatively combined the cooked shredded lamb with the sauce for a chunky ragu.
Recipe Yield and Timing
The recipe below makes 10 to 11 cups lamb shoulder ragu (both shredded meat and sauce included), which is enough to dress 2 to 3 pounds pasta. You can easily halve the recipe for a smaller yield.
Since making a slowly cooked lamb ragu like this one is a bit of a longer project, I suggest making it at least one day in advance.
- What I will generally do is shred the meat will still fairly hot (it’s easier this way!) and separating it from the sauce.
- After refrigerating them separately overnight (or for at least a few hours), all of the lamb fat will rise to the top and then can be easily removed and discarded.
- Of course, you can leave as much of the lamb fat in as you like. Keep in mind that lamb fat tends to be quite rich with a slightly gamey and earthy flavor.
- See this process in the step-by-step photos above.
- Then, I will combine the pulled lamb with the sauce. This is the finished ragu.
Freezing Lamb Ragu
If you plan on making then freezing the ragu for the future, I recommend the refrigerating process above–pulling the lamb and refrigerating the pulled lamb and sauce separately for at least a few hours to allow the fat to rise to the top.
Then, remove and discard the fat, combine the pulled lamb with the sauce, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
I suggest freezing the ragu in portions for one pound pasta (3 to 4 cups) or ½ pound pasta (1½ to 2 cups) for convenience.
TOP TIPS FOR SLOW COOKED LAMB RAGU
- Lamb: I started with a 6-pound, untrimmed, boneless lamb shoulder. After trimming large pieces of fat and silver skin, I was left with 4 pounds usable product.
- Pre-sliced, thick slices of lamb shoulder steak or lamb stew meat can also be used in this recipe.
- Bone-in lamb shoulder can be used but will take longer to cook.
- Searing the Lamb: Resist from turning the lamb pieces over multiple times while searing them. Be patient and let each side brown well, then turn the piece over.
- Prep In Advance: A slowly cooked lamb ragu is a bit of a longer project. So, I suggest making it at least one day in advance of serving. This also makes it very easy to skim/remove excess fat once it has been refrigerated. (More details in Recipe Notes below.)
- Optional: The peas and ricotta are both optional. But I really do recommend including them and making this recipe exactly as written. You will love it! Stir some chopped black oil-cured olives and lemon zest into the ricotta for something extra special!
- Serving Suggestions: I’ve paired this rich braised lamb sugo with pasta. But try it over a big puddle of buttery, creamy polenta. Yum!
- For sides, a simple green salad is perfect accompaniment and my go-to. It provides the perfect crispness and freshness to complement the rich ragu and pasta.
- Don’t forget to serve this juice lamb pasta sauce with a little homemade Italian chili oil for a final kick of heat–so worth it!
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lamb Ragu:
- ¼ cup olive oil or other neutral oil for searing the lamb
- 5-6 pounds (untrimmed) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of big pieces of fat and silver skin (some fat ok); 3” chunks (See Notes.)
- Salt and black pepper
- 6 ounces pancetta, ¼” dice (thick skin removed and discarded)
- 2 cups small diced yellow or red onions (about 3 small onions)
- 1 cup small diced celery (about 3 stalks celery)
- 1 cup smal diced carrots (about 1medium carrot)
- ¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (about 1 sprig)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine such as Chianti or merlot
- 4 cups low- or no-sodium chicken broth
- Big pinch saffron (optional)
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound pasta + salt for pasta water (See Notes.)
- 3-4 cups lamb ragu
- 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed (8-9 ounces; See Notes.), optional
- ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ricotta at room temperature (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients as noted above. Pat the lamb pieces dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle all sides of the lamb with salt and black pepper.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)5-6 pounds (untrimmed) boneless lamb shoulder,
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Carefully add as many lamb pieces as will fit on the surface of the pot and sear them on multiple sides until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pot. Remove the lamb to a plate once seared and set aside.(NOTE: Resist from turning the lamb pieces over multiple times. Be patient and let each side brown well, then turn the piece over.)¼ cup olive oil
- Turn heat to low, then use a paper towel with tongs to soak up and remove excess oil from the pot.
- Next, cook the pancetta. Increase heat to medium-low, add pancetta to the pot and cook it slowly, rendering out some of the fat and until it starts to crisp. Transfer pancetta from the pot to the lamb plate.6 ounces pancetta,
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to coat with the fat. Cook until the vegetables have mostly softened, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can cover the pot to speed up this process a bit.2 cups small diced yellow or red onions, 1 cup small diced celery, 1 cup smal diced carrots, ¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Move the veggies over to one side of the pot and add the tomato paste. Caramelize it for 1 to 2 minutes.2 Tbsp tomato paste
- Pour the wine in and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits.1 cup dry red wine
- Add the broth and saffron and stir until all ingredients are well-combined.4 cups low- or no-sodium chicken broth, Big pinch saffron
- Carefully return the reserved lamb and pancetta to the pot, along with any accumulated juices, nestling the pieces in the broth and vegetables. Increase the heat to medium, cover and bring the mixture to a rolling simmer. Then, immediately turn the heat down to medium-low to achieve a low simmer and cover the pot, leaving it slightly ajar.
- Let the mixture simmer about 2½ to 3 hours or until the lamb is fork tender and able to be shredded very easily. Stir the mixture every 20 minutes or so, turning the lamb pieces over. If necessary, add additional broth.(Alternatively, cook the lamb in a 325°F preheated oven, covered with foil. See Notes for more details.)
- When finished, remove from heat and, using 2 forks or tongs, gently break the lamb down into smaller pieces.
- At this point, you can either use the ragu immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freezer for up to three months. See Notes below for more about this. (I generally make this sauce 1 to 2 days in advance of when I’m serving it. The flavors develop well and any excess fat rises to the top and can be skimmed off before reheating.)
- When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and reheat the ragu in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add a little bit of water to the ragu to help loosen it.3-4 cups lamb ragu
- Add salt, then the pasta, to the boiling water, stirring frequently. At the same time, add the peas to the ragu and stir well.1½ cups frozen peas,, 1 pound pasta
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce and increase the heat to medium. Toss well. Allow the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture, about ½ cup at a time. (You can also add some pasta water to the sauce before the pasta is added, if moisture is needed.)
- Once the pasta is al dente, remove the pan from the heat. Then gently stir in the pecorino cheese and drizzle with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately. I love including a bowlful of room temperature ricotta on the table for people to add to the pasta as desired. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- I started with a 6-pound, untrimmed, boneless lamb shoulder. After trimming large pieces of fat and silver skin, I was left with 4 pounds usable product.
- Pre-sliced, thick slices of lamb shoulder steak or lamb stew meat can also be used in this recipe. Keep in mind that the smaller the pieces of meat are, the less time they need to cook until tender.
- Bone-in lamb shoulder can also be used but will take longer to cook. Be sure to remove all the meat from the bone after cooking and then discard the bone.
- Silver skin is a thin membrane of connective tissue on the lamb that gets tough and chewy when cooked, and it should be removed.
- What I will generally do is shred the meat will still fairly hot (it’s easier this way!) and separating it from the sauce.
- After refrigerating them separately overnight (or for at least a few hours), all of the lamb fat will rise to the top and then can be easily removed and discarded.
- Of course, you can leave as much of the lamb fat in as you like. Keep in mind that lamb fat tends to be quite rich with a slightly gamey and earthy flavor.
- See this process in the step-by-step photos above.
- Then, I will combine the pulled lamb with the sauce. This is the finished ragu.
- If you plan on making then freezing the ragu for the future, I recommend refrigerating the process above–pulling the lamb and refrigerating the pulled lamb and sauce separately for at least a few hours to allow the fat to rise to the top.
- Then, remove and discard the fat, combine the pulled lamb with the sauce, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- I suggest freezing the ragu in portions for one pound pasta (3 to 4 cups) or ½ pound pasta (1½ to 2 cups) for convenience.
- Before adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, sear the lamb shoulder pieces in a separate hot skillet. Searing locks in a ton of delicious flavor and creates the most delicious crust on the outside.
- Be sure to also deglaze the pan to capture the flavor from the brown bits left by the seared meat. Add these brown bits to the slow cooker as well. Use water or wine to deglaze.
- Also, crisp the pancetta in a separate pan as well.
- Then, mix the lamb, pancetta and other ingredients together and add them to the slow cooker with the wine and broth.
- Cover and set on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours or until the lamb is fall-apart tender.
- Note that the pasta itself should be cooked separately in a pot of salted boiling water.
Loved the silence around the table as everyone took their first bite of this. So yum!