This Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu Recipe is a meaty, rich sauce packed with flavor. Serve with your favorite pasta, it's one of the most comforting meals! Make this for both special occasions or for Sunday dinner for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Note: This recipe was originally published in September 2020, but has been improved and re-photographed as of September 23rd, 2023. We hope you enjoy the new look!
If you don't have a hearty lamb ragu recipe in your back pocket, this will become your go-to. It's made with succulent chunks of lamb, with a flavorful mix of tomato paste, onions, garlic, celery, garlic, and red wine. It's supremely satisfying, and the ultimate Italian comfort food.
If you need more ideas for hearty comfort food for Sunday dinner, try this chicken potato soup, this melt in your mouth roast beef with gravy, this Dutch oven pot roast, this slow cooker Irish stew, or this slow cooker sirloin tip roast.
Looking for another new lamb recipe? Try our lamb salad with herb roasted potatoes!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Hearty and comforting. This lamb ragu sauce is rich and flavorful. It's so hearty, it's almost like a stew. It cooks slowly to create an intensely flavorful sauce.
- Hands off recipe. After prepping and a small amount of active time, you can set it and forget it for hours until the sauce is nice and tender.
- Perfect for both special occasions & lazy dinners. This recipe is both fancy and easy to make. It's high-end enough for special occasions like Christmas, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, or Easter, but it's also great for lazy Sundays when you don't feel like standing over the stove.
🐑Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Olive oil
- Lamb. We like to use lamb shoulder, which is a tougher cut of lamb that needs to cooked for a long time. You can also use bone-in if you can't find boneless, it's usually cheaper and has even more flavor, but you will just need to cut it into a few pieces to ensure it gets tender enough.
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Smoked paprika & red pepper flakes. Optional and to taste.
- Red wine. Choose a full-bodied, dry red to support the rich lamb. Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Merlot would make good choices. They are on the drier side, but pack plenty of body and fruity flavor that will accompany the lamb flavor well.
- Beef stock. Of course, if you can find lamb stock (affiliate link), use that, but it's not very easy to come by in most areas so we use readily available beef stock or broth.
- Crushed tomatoes. Use something good quality, like San Marzano, since this will be the main flavor component of your sauce.
- Fresh herbs. We use a mixture of thyme, rosemary, and sage to wrap up in a bundle to infuse the sauce with lots of flavor. We also add in a few bay leaves.
- Heavy cream. Cream is a common ingredient in ragu sauces, but it is optional.
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- Pasta of choice. Use any pasta you like here, we like using pappardelle as it holds up really well to the hearty sauce.
- Reserved pasta water. Make sure to reserve some pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles when serving.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to the ragu.
- Use a different cut. You can use ground lamb, or lamb shank instead of lamb shoulder if you prefer. Make sure to use a hearty cut that will hold up well to braising and develop a really nice rich flavor.
- Dairy free. Omit the cream and parmesan cheese. You can also substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
- Spicy. Add cayenne pepper or more red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Use marinara sauce. For a shortcut, you can swap the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes with marinara sauce.
- Swap wine for broth or stock. You can simply use all beef or lamb stock instead of wine if you prefer.
- You can use red onions or shallots if you don't have sweet or yellow onions on hand.
🔪Prep work
- Mince garlic.
- Dice carrots, celery, and onions.
- Tightly wrap herbs in a bundle of kitchen twine.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
- Dry lamb pieces very well with paper towels to encourage browning.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan, skillet, or Dutch oven over medium heat. If your slow cooker has a stovetop setting like ours does, you can preheat that instead.
📋Instructions
Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet or the slow cooker over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with lots of salt and pepper. Add lamb in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. (Image 1)
Cook until the meat develops a nice golden brown crust on at least 2 sides, this should take roughly 2-3 minutes per side. (Image 2)
Remove the cooked lamb from the skillet and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, then add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the carrots, onions, and celery with a good pinch of salt. (Image 3)
Cook to soften, about 5 minutes, then add in tomato paste, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic, and pepper. (Image 4)
Cook until the tomato paste has deepened in color, about 3-5 minutes. (Image 5)
Add the cooked chunks of lamb and cooked veggies to the slow cooker. (Image 6)
Cover the ingredients with beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and red wine. (Image 7)
Stir and scrape the bottom of the slow cooker to collect any bits of browning to help incorporate them into the sauce. Top with the bay leaves and herb bundle. (Image 8)
Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, until the lamb is tender enough to be broken apart with a wooden spoon. (Image 9)
Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves from the slow cooker, and stir in the optional cream. (Image 10)
✨Pro tip: About 10-15 minutes before the sauce is complete in the slow cooker, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and prepare your pasta of choice according to the package directions. Make sure to reserve some pasta water! Be sure to cook pasta al dente, and allow it to finish cooking a little bit in the sauce.
Break apart the pieces of lamb and give the mixture a good stir. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add in your cooked pasta of choice, along with a splash of pasta water, and toss with tongs. (Image 11)
Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, and serve with your favorite pasta of choice or gnocchi.
✨Pro tip: Choose pasta that will hold up well to a rich and hearty sauce. Some great choices would be fettuccine, bucatini, pappardelle, and fresh tagliatelle if desired. You can also serve it with zucchini noodles for a low-carb option!
✨Tips & tricks
- Don't skip browning the lamb. This is crucial to the rich flavor. Browning the meat locks in the juices in the meat, making for very tender bites.
- Make sure to cook the veggies for a while to deepen the flavor. Again, this will add a ton of flavor to the sauce.
- Don't clean the pan or slow cooker between browning the meat. The fond, or, a French term for the browned bits at the bottom of the pan, creates wonderful deep flavor in the braising liquid.
- Use high quality tomatoes and wine. These are huge components of the flavor in this sauce, so use ingredients you really enjoy the taste of.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
A very rich and hearty meat-based sauce in Italian cooking. Ragu can be made with any meat, but it generally includes a lot of meat and is almost stew-like.
Generally, ragu is cooked with carrots, onions, and celery, alongside wine and aromatic herbs.
Ragu is generally slow cooked to develop deep, rich, and complex flavors.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the slow cooker.
Yes, this recipe is very freezer-friendly. To freeze, allow leftovers to cool completely, then transfer the meat sauce to a freezer-safe bag or container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place the frozen ragu in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in cold water to thaw quicker. Once it's thawed enough to slide out of the container, reheat it gently on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or microwave.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu
Equipment
- skillet or dutch oven (can skip if you can sear things in your slow cooker)
- 8-quart slow cooker (or larger)
- kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 2 medium carrots, minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (about 1 can)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- thyme, sage, rosemary bundle (for slow cooking to infuse flavor)
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
- pasta for serving (fettuccine, pappardelle, tagliatelle, penne, or gnocchini)
- parmesan cheese & basil for serving
Instructions
- In a large heated cast iron skillet, or in a slow cooker with a searing function, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet or slow cooker in batches, over medium-high heat. Brown on at least 2 sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet or slow cooker.
- Add the remaining olive oil, followed by the onion, carrots, and celery with some salt. Cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes, then stir in garlic, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional), ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, cooking until the color of the tomato paste deepens, about 5 minutes.
- Add back the cooked lamb, followed by the crushed tomatoes, 1 cup of beef broth, 1 cup of red wine, the herb bundle, bay leaves, and more salt and pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Once the lamb is incredibly tender, remove the herb bundle, and bay leaves and discard. Stir in the optional ½ cup of heavy cream, and serve with your pasta of choice. Top with parmesan cheese and basil. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.
Notes
- These nutrition facts are for the sauce only, and do not include parmesan cheese or any toppings, or pasta.
- Don't skip browning the lamb. This is crucial to the rich flavor. Browning the meat locks in the juices in the meat, making for very tender bites.
- Make sure to cook the veggies for a while to deepen the flavor. Again, this will add a ton of flavor to the sauce.
- Don't clean the pan or slow cooker between browning the meat. The fond, or, a French term for the browned bits at the bottom of the pan, creates wonderful deep flavor in the braising liquid.
- Use high quality tomatoes and wine. These are huge components of the flavor in this sauce, so use ingredients you really enjoy the taste of.
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