Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
This slow cooker lamb ragu is one of my favourite cosy dinners for autumn and winter! Lamb shanks cook low and slow in red wine, stock, vegetables and herbs until fall-apart tender, then get shredded into the flavour-packed cooking juices. Tossed with fresh pappardelle, it’s comforting and full of flavour without feeling too heavy.
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Lamb Ragu
- 1 kg lamb shanks bone in
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 peppers
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 187 ml red wine small bottle
- 325 ml lamb stock or bone broth
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
To Serve (not included within calculated calories)
- salted butter
- fresh parsley
- fresh egg tagliatelle or pappardelle
- parmesan
Instructions
- Finely slice 1 onion, 2 peppers and 3 garlic cloves - place in base of slow cooker
- Season 1 kg lamb shanks with 2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper then sear in pre-heated frying pan until browned and caramelised before removing and placing in slow cooker with the vegetables
- Add 325 ml lamb stock into the slow cooker along with 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon oregano
- Add 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoon tomato paste to frying pan you cooked the lamb in and cook for a minute on low heat to deglaze pan
- Pour in 187 ml red wine and simmer for another minute to cook off the alcohol, scraping the pan to ensuring all the flavour is being retained by the sauce, then add to slow cooker with everything else
- Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours (the lamb should shred easily and fall off the bone, cook for longer if it isn't at this stage yet)
- Remove lamb shanks from slow cooker and shred the meat, add back into the juices in the slow cooker and mix through
- Optional step (but recommended): refrigerate the sauce and the fat will solidify at the top, which you can then scrape off before dividing up into portions or mixing through pasta
- To serve: cook fresh egg tagliatelle or pappardelle until al dente
- Mix some fresh parsley and salted butter through the lamb ragu and grate some parmesan to serve
Notes
Sauce consistency: The sauce is intentionally quite thin and light rather than a thick, tomato-heavy ragu. If you prefer it thicker, or more tomatoey, reduce it on the hob, stir through a cornflour slurry made with 2 tablespoons cornflour and 2 tablespoons cold water or add 400ml of tinned chopped tomatoes into the slow cooker.
No wine: Replace the red wine with additional lamb stock or bone broth. You can also use a de-alcoholised red wine stock pot (increase stock volume if doing this).
Removing excess fat: For best results, make the ragu ahead and refrigerate it. The excess fat will solidify on top, making it easy to scrape away before reheating.
Pasta: I love this with fresh egg pappardelle, but tagliatelle or another wide pasta works well, too.
Serving: mix through a little salted butter and fresh parsley to serve - it'll help you achieve that glossy restaurant-quality sauce!
Storage: Store the ragu separately from the pasta in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Family-friendly: For babies 9 months+, use reduced-salt stock and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 16gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 177mgPotassium: 377mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 403IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
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