Who loves Italian food? I know I do! It’s interesting that when I was a kid, the closest we got to Italian food was Chef-Boy-R-Dee (remember that? – believe it or not, I loved the Ravioli), the one in the can. I guess that is the result of being born to parents both of German heritage – pasta was not on our usual meal rotation. As we got older, Mom occasionally made pizza or lasagna and that’s when our love of all things Italian really grew.
During college, we would often cook up some dry pasta and top it with a sauce from a jar, usually some version of tomato sauce and then top it with some cheese that comes in a green can. A quick and satisfactory dinner! These days, when I have a little time, I love to cook a tomato sauce from scratch, low and slow, with some fresh vegetables and a cut of meat that, over time, tenderizes to the point it shreds at the touch of a fork. Good choices for this include: pork shoulder, chuck roast, chicken thighs, or lamb shoulder. These cuts provide so much flavor and texture to a dish, it’s difficult to make it anything but delicious!
This particular recipe, from Lidia Bastianich, combines all of those things. In her book Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine, Lidia shares how she ever-so-simply prepares these complicated-tasting dishes with a few simple ingredients, you just want to dive in and make them all. She truly makes us feel like we can all be great Italian cooks! Thanks to my friend Teresa (my cooking partner!) for introducing me to this fantastic book.
This dish starts with browning pieces of Lamb Shoulder (we actually used “Lamb Stew Meat” purchased from the meat counter at our local grocery store), and creating a reduction of wine and meat juices as a base for a lovely slow-cooked tomato sauce. Later, quartered potatoes and sweet bell peppers are added. So simple, so delicious! Once fork-tender, you can reduce it to serve as a stew with some crusty bread, or serve it over you favorite pasta. We made pasta, since this sauce had a while to cook, thanks again to our new friend Lidia, but feel free to use dried or fresh Pappardelle or Fettuccini, as a long wide noodle is perfect with this Lamb Ragu. Enjoy!
Lamb Ragu with Peppers Recipe
This beautiful recipe for Lamb Ragu with Peppers was adapted from Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cooking from Lidia Bastianich. It is flavored with a pestata, which is a ground mixture, in this case, a mixture of pancetta and garlic. Special equipment: a mini food processor or mortar and pestle, and a Dutch Oven or Cast-iron pot with...
Ingredients
- 2 oz Pancetta, chopped
- 4 Garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lb Boneless lamb shoulder or lamb stew meat, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 c Dry white wine
- 1 28-oz. can Italian tomatoes (preferable plum tomatoes, crushed by hand)
- 2 tsp. Dried oregano
- 2 tsp. Paprika, sweet
- 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 3 Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange preferred), seeded and quartered
Instructions
- First, make the pestata. Place the pancetta and garlic cloves into the food processor and grind until smooth. Heat a large Dutch oven or Cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add olive oil. When oil shimmers, add the pestata and cook until the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes.
- Season the lamb with 1 tsp of salt. Add to the hot pan with pestata. Cook over medium heat until the lamb releases its juices, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Increase the heat to brown the meat all over, about 4 more minutes.
- Season with remaining salt and red pepper flakes. Add the wine, and cook until it is almost reduced away, approximately 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juices, and 1 1/2 cups water. Sprinkle in the oregano and paprika. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes.
- Add potatoes, peppers, and 1 cup water. Set lid ajar, and cook 45-60 minutes more, until lamb and vegetables are fork-tender.
- If the sauce is too watery, turn the heat to high and reduce until desired consistency is reached. Or, add a slurry of cornstarch (about 2-4 tablespoons) and liquid from the pot, and stir until desired thickness. Serve over pasta, risotto, rice, or toasted bread.
Sounds so flavorful! Looks amazing:)
Thanks, Freda! Hope you’re doing well with your little one(s)!
Yes Laura 🙂 Doing good, hope all is well with you too!
my parents never let me have chef boyrdee as a kid, and i felt so left out. not like the kids in my community had it either, but man, their advertising had me hooked. anyways, this sounds so tasty, especially with the pestata (hadn’t heard of it til just now!).
Pestata was new for me, too! It is a great way to add tremendous flavor. I will certainly use it again. I know what you mean by the advertising – but rest assured, the real thing is so much better a than anything in a can.