i ordered lamb bolognese recently at a restaurant that i love. doing so made me love it that much more (both the restaurant and the idea of lamb bolognese). the dish was delicious, as were the other seven that i ordered. that’s not an exaggeration. there’s no recipe out there, so this was my attempt to recreate it. or just make my own recipe that i can use going forward.
further motivation was the fact that i’ve been dying to use the crock pot i was given for christmas. bolognese sauces are typically made on the stove with ground meat. but because i wanted to use this wonderful invention, i needed something especially tender that would cook well over several hours. hence, the lamb shoulder. here’s hoping this one’s a keeper.
the ingredients:
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. boneless lamb shoulder (tied with twine to hold together)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion (diced)
2 medium celery stalks (diced)
2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 red wine (a full-bodied one)
1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes (here’s where i tell you to use san marzano again)
1 tbsp. lemon zest
a bunch of thyme (plus more for garnish)
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup parmigiano regianno (plus more for serving)
cooking twine
the method:
season the lamb shoulder generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
heat the oil over medium-high heat. sear the lamb on all sides until browned nicely. don’t cook it completely here! remove the meat, and set aside (or right into your crock-pot).
if needed, add a little bit more olive oil, and then the onion, carrot, and celery to the same pan, scraping up the little brown bits as the veggies cook. once the veggies start to soften, add the garlic, and cook until aromatic (about a minute or so). add the tomato paste and red wine, and stir until the paste begins to break down.
add the canned tomatoes and their juices. carefully, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes into quarters. you can also do this off the heat if you’re more comfortable with that. stir to combine. add a teaspoon of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the lemon zest. stir again. remember that the lamb has already been seasoned, and the sauce will cook with the lamb for several hours, so don’t over season here. the cheese will add a salty bite as well.
turn the heat off. tie a small bunch of thyme with kitchen twine, and set aside.
add the sauce to the crock-pot. ignore the picture above; you can pout it right over the meat. nestle the thyme and bay leaf into the sauce, and cover. set your slow-cooker to low, and set the timer for six hours.
now, walk away. it was very hard for me not to peek, but i had to control myself. when the timer finally goes off, uncover, and skim any excess fat off the top. remove the thyme spring (or what’s left of it) and the bay leaf. at this point, you should be able to pull the meat apart with two forks. once you’ve finished doing so, stir everything together. leave the sauce in the crock pot on the “keep warm” setting.
in the meantime, generously salt a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. cook the pappardelle until al dente, and add it to the crock pot. sprinkle in the quarter cup of cheese, and toss everything together. transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with as much cheese as you like and a couple of sprigs of the remaining fresh thyme.
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