TL/DR – Lamb Bolognese Sauce. This has most of the original Bolognese components – carrots, celery, garlic, onions, wine, milk, tomatoes – but lamb instead of beef and tons of fresh oregano. Definitely a long simmering thing, but worth the wait. –
This tasty version of Bolognese came from a craving for something cozy on a slow weekend. It’s about an hour in the making, so this sauce doesn’t fit into the easy weeknight meal category, but if there is any leftover it makes a wonderful lunch!
Start by browning ground lamb in a large skillet over high heat. As the fat and moisture escape the lamb, drain by blotting with paper towels and discarding. Remove the lamb and set aside, then sauté onions, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil, scraping up the brown bits as the vegetables release moisture. Add tomato paste and cook it down for about a minute.
Add the lamb back to the skillet along with salt and pepper and a cup of white wine and allow it to cook almost all the way off. Then add a cup of milk and cook it down for several minutes. Follow this with a small amount of broth and 28 ounces of stewed tomatoes and their juices, removed from the can and diced. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered, then another ten minutes, uncovered. Just towards the end, add 3 to 4 T minced fresh oregano.
The result is a rich and delicious sauce that goes wonderfully on regular or gluten free pasta, but can also be served over rice. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired. For another delicious weekend pasta meal, try Spaghetti and Meatballs. For a quick and easy weeknight lamb recipe that tastes like it stewed for hours, try Sage Garlic Lamb with Feta Yogurt Sauce.
Lamb Bolognese Sauce
This version of Bolognese sauce is made with typical ingredients, subbing beef with ground lamb and adding lots of fresh oregano.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 3 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 large celery stalks, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2T tomato paste
- 1 t kosher salt, divided
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 c white wine or Bordeaux, choose wine that you like
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth
- 28 oz stewed tomatoes with juices, removed from the can and diced
- 3 - 4 T fresh oregano, minced
Directions
- Step 1 Brown the lamb in 1T extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. As it browns and the fat and moisture cook into the skillet, drain the majority off by blotting with paper towels held by tongs.
- Step 2 Remove the browned lamb from the skillet and set aside.
- Step 3 Return the skillet to medium high heat and add the remaining 2 T of olive oil. Sauté the carrots, celery, onions and garlic for 5 minutes, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon as the vegetables release some moisture.
- Step 4 Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Step 5 Add the lamb back to the skillet with 1/2 t kosher salt and a few turns of black pepper, followed by the wine. Allow the wine to cook almost all of the way off, stirring frequently and loosening up any additional cooked bits of food from the skillet.
- Step 6 Add the milk and cook down for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Step 7 Add the broth and the stewed tomatoes and stir well. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Step 8 Uncover the skillet, add the fresh oregano and remaining 1/2 t salt and a bit more freshly ground pepper and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste and season. Serve immediately over hot pasta. Parmesan cheese is optional.
