Hearty Lamb Ragù with Rigatoni

This is the bomb! I add garlic to the vegetable mixture. I then put tomatoes, stock and Italian herbs in slow cooker. I followed the recipe up to reducing the wine then added to slow cooker. Once cooked for about 6 hours the lamb falls apart and I shred it with 2 forks and mix through. Definitely a favourite of our family and I make it often.

We made this recipe and it was absolutely fantastic. The only suggestion I have is that you reserve some of the hot water in which you cooked the pasta. When you toss the ragu with the past add a bit of the hot water and cook it down just a little. It will both help the pasta to keep the temperature, and also allow the ragu to mix with it a bit more thoroughly. This is a wonderful dish. I'm sure it will be repeated!

I think 1/4 inch is a bit large for the diced pancetta but maybe a matter of preference. I used ripe fresh tomatoes and grated some of the carrot. If you're worried about fat (I'm not because it adds to the flavour) cut as much as you can from the meat before cooking. Also, I left in the lamb bones and took them out at the end. A delicious recipe.

A labor of love for an open afternoon. The recipe doesn’t say, but the wine takes 8 minutes or so to evaporate. I also poured off all the fat after browning the pancetta and lamb since it didn’t evaporate on its own. Watch out if you get Boar’s Head pancetta, it’s diced large and messes with the final texture. Homemade pasta would make this dish stellar. Avoid al dente pasta, cook a minute longer than normal otherwise it’ll overwhelm the ragu. Lovely flavors. Looking forward to reheating and eating again tomorrow!