Ground Lamb Recipes

Ground Lamb and Shallot Kebabs with Pomegranate Molasses

Burhan Cagdas makes ground-meat kebabs (kofta) from hand-chopped lamb mixed with diced lamb-tail fat. In place of the fat, Paula Wolfert uses crème fraîche, which keeps the meat rich-tasting and meltingly tender.

Turkish Ground-Lamb Pizzas

At her takeout shop in Istanbul, Kantin Dükkan, Semsa Denizsel tops her pizzas with ground lamb (flavored with sweet sun-dried tomatoes and a little spicy red pepper), but you can substitute ground beef instead. To make the pizza even more substantial, bake it with an egg on top; the runny yolk is terrific with the whole-wheat crust.

Lamb and Two-Cheese Quesadillas

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

Chef Way Andrew Carmellini serves fresh pappardelle with a ragù of house-ground lamb shoulder cooked in lamb stock. He finishes the dish with fresh ricotta and chopped mint.

Easy Way Use store-bought pappardelle, ground lamb and chicken stock, then top the dish with fresh ricotta and mint.

Quick Coconut Lamb Curry

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lamb, Tomato, and Cumin Sauce

A Middle Eastern version of the spaghetti with meat sauce we all know and love, this pasta should find a ready audience. It's good with macaroni or with plain spaghetti.

Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts

This cinnamon-scented recipe is Yotam Ottolenghi and Rami Tamimi's take on a dish made by Elran Shrefler at Azura Restaurant.

Cumin Lamb Noodles with Eggplant

Blogger Ashley Rodriguez creates a rich, creamy lamb ragu with delicious Greek flavors; it's a total crowd-pleaser and a nice alternative to more common Italian pasta dishes.

Chopped Lamb Steak with Garlicky Spinach

"Chopped steaks are really just glorified hamburgers," Marcia Kiesel says. "It's a ground meat patty, but you eat it with a fork and knife like a steak — with or without bread." Marcia updates the old-fashioned diner staple by using ground lamb instead of beef and serving it with garlicky wilted spinach and warm goat cheese. "It's such a lazy summer meal," she says.

Beef-and-Lamb Burgers with Cheddar and Caper Remoulade

The lamb in this juicy burger adds a complex flavor, but the tangy remoulade created a pairing conundrum for wine educator Marnie Old.

Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Dressing with Chickpeas

Instead of the more common bread-based dressing, Sam Mogannam's mother, Mariette, always serves turkey with this hearty, savory Palestinian stuffing, traditionally used as a filling for grape leaves or halved zucchini.

Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Mint-Yogurt Sauce

Strozzapreti with Lamb Ragù

"Strozzapreti has a ridge along its length, which helps pick up more of the sauce," says Michael Mina of this pasta, which he serves with a spiced lamb ragù.