Makes 6 servings
Though this sauce is relatively basic, lamb adds that sort of can’t-quite-place-it flavor that you and your guests will love. We like pairing it with homemade Troccoli pasta, but you can use whatever dried variety you prefer. Make the sauce well-ahead, if you like, and freeze it until you’re ready.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb boneless lamb shoulder, cut in 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 3 cups canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed through a food mill or sieve
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 red pepper, cut in half and seeded
- Beef Broth, as needed
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 1 lb Troccoli Pasta
Directions
- Heat the oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion and red pepper flakes to the same pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 2 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot with any accumulated juices and add the wine, tomatoes, and bay leaf and cook over low heat, stirring gently, until the meat is partially cooked, about 2 1/2 hours. Add the red pepper and continue to cook until the lamb is extremely tender, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add a bit of broth if the sauce looks too dry as it cooks. Remove and discard the bay leaf and the red pepper.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let sit for about 15 minutes, then pull the lamb apart into smaller pieces, but do not shred it completely. Season with salt, as needed.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the troccoli all at once and stir to submerge and separate the strands. Cook, uncovered, until just tender (al dente), 3 to 4 minutes.
- Drain the troccoli in a colander. Shake well to remove any water clinging to the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into a bowl, add the sauce, and toss together until well combined. Serve at once in heated pasta plates.
