Recipe: Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
The restaurant Napa Valley Grille is located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, but it takes inspiration from its namesake wine country. The recipes are rich and flavorful -- and this one in particular contains three cups of wine! On the chef's suggestion, use fresh, rather than dried, pasta. There are instructions for restaurant-style plating below, but we won't tell if you decide on family-style instead.Lamb Ragù with Pappardelle
Serves 8
1 Lamb Shoulder BRT (Boned, Rolled & Tied), approximately 4-5 lbs
1 pint onion, diced 1?4" x 1?4"
1 cup celery, diced 1?4" x 1?4"
1 cup carrots, diced 1?4" x 1?4"
56 oz crushed San Marzano Tomatoes (canned will do)
12 oz tomato juice
3 cups red wine
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
Pinch Chili Flake
Chopped Parsley
1 T Butter, unsalted
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
AP Flour
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Cut off the netting on the lamb and remove all the sliver skin. Dice the lamb into 1?2" pieces. Leave some of the fat on the meat, because that adds great flavor. Any good butcher will do this for you upon request.
Season the meat well with salt and fresh ground pepper. Dust with AP Flour until there is no more visible moisture.
Heat a large sauté pan and add blended olive oil. Shake off excess flour and sear the lamb in small uncrowded batches.
Remove when well caramelized on all sides and allow excess fat to drain off (place on paper towel or perforated pan). Lamb will be visibly crispy, but not burnt.
When all the lamb is cooked deglaze pan with red wine and reduce by half. Dissolve all of the fond (crispy bits) on the bottom of the pan.
In a separate pot, sweat out the onions, celery and carrots with a little blended oil for about 5 minutes until lightly caramelized.
Add in red wine reduction from sauté pan, tomatoes, tomato juice, herbs, and lamb. Simmer covered on low heat for about an hour or until the lamb is tender. A good test is to take a piece and if you can "smush" it with the back of a spoon with very little force on the countertop it's done.
Adjust your consistency and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add chicken stock. If too thin, reduce uncovered.
To plate individually, restaurant-style:
Cook fresh Pappardelle pasta (about 6 oz) in boiling salted water until al dente. In a separate sauté pan, heat up 8 oz of the ragù. Add a pinch of chili flake and the butter. Stir until butter is emulsified into the sauce. Add fresh chopped parsley, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta into hot sauce and toss well. If sauce
appears too thick add a little pasta water to loosen. Plate and grate fresh parmesan on top.
