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4.70 from 20 votes

Lamb Bolognese

This Lamb Bolognese simmers on the stove for an hour, marrying all the delicious flavors of carrot, onion, anchovy and lamb together. Ladle it over your favorite pasta for an amazing dinner, and if you have leftovers, good news – this lamb bolognese freezes easily!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Halal
Servings: 8
Cost: $15

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion peeled and minced
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 2 carrots peeled and minced
  • 2 anchovy filets minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • Pinch sugar
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 1 (24-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound pasta of choice
  • Parmesan-Reggiano as garnish
  • Basil leaves as garnish

Instructions

To Make the Lamb Bolognese:

  • I like to mince everything up in a food processor. If you don’t have one, mince the onion, garlic cloves and carrots by hand—no biggie!
  • Add the onion, garlic cloves, carrots and anchovies to a food processor. Blitz until pureed.
  • In a large Dutch oven or medium pot set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the onion/carrot mixture. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and allow to cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring it every so often.
  • Then add the ground lamb, breaking it up with your spatula. Mix everything together and cook until the meat has browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in the crushed red pepper and tomato paste and mix; pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift up any bits.
  • Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes. And then fill the can about halfway up with water, swishing it around to pick up any leftover tomato and pour into the pot. Give it a good mix, bring it to a simmer and then immediately drop the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.
  • It’ll be super fragrant and delicious at that point. Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to your liking. I added a few more pinches.
  • To neutralize the acid, I like to add a few tablespoons of butter. This is totally optional. You can also add a tablespoon of sour cream or creme fraiche, if you have it. Or you could skip this part all together.

To Assemble:

  • Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in your pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. In the same pot that you cooked the pasta, add a few ladles of the sauce and add the drained pasta. Toss it in the sauce until it’s covered. If needed, add a splash or two of pasta water.
  • Divide the pasta amongst bowls. Top it with a ladle of the bolognese and top with fresh basil (if you have it) and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

To Store the Bolognese:

  • This makes delicious leftovers. Bring the entire bolognese to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days OR you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight and then warm up in a sauté pan or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2797IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg