Lamb Bolognese Recipe: Tips for Making Lamb Bolognese
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 15, 2024 • 2 min read
Lamb Bolognese swaps ground beef for complex, gamey lamb, resulting in a rustic, flavorful version of the classic Italian red sauce.
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What Is Lamb Bolognese?
Lamb Bolognese is a take on Bolognese, a traditional Italian meat sauce, that calls for rich, gamey ground lamb meat instead of ground beef or pork. Bolognese is the international name for ragù alla Bolognese, a long-simmering Italian meat sauce that traditionally accompanies lasagna or tagliatelle.
Cooking the sauce starts with sautéing a soffritto—a mixture of aromatic vegetables such as onion, carrot, and celery—in olive oil until soft. Ground or diced meat—in this case, lamb—makes up the body of the sauce, with wine, stock, and tomato purée forming the braising liquid.
3 Tips for Making Lamb Bolognese
Home cooks of all levels can successfully craft this classic lamb ragù. Follow these tips to make the most of your Bolognese sauce:
- 1. Experiment with ingredients. Adjust this classic Bolognese recipe to suit your preferences or the ingredients you have on hand. Swap red wine for white wine for a full-bodied sauce. Use beef stock instead of chicken stock for a meaty flavor. Substitute half-and-half or heavy cream for milk for a creamier dish. Incorporate additional spices and Italian herbs, such as red pepper flakes, garlic, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and sprigs of fresh thyme.
- 2. Slow cook the sauce. Prepare your recipe in a slow cooker for an easy make-ahead meal. Sauté the lamb and the veggies, then add them to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook the sauce on low heat for 3 to 4 hours.
- 3. Store properly. Store this hearty sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow the Bolognese to cool to room temperature, then add it to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. When you’re ready to eat the sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it on the stovetop.
Homemade Lamb Bolognese Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
3 hr 40 mincook time
3 hr 20 minIngredients
- 1
Prepare the soffritto. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onion, carrot, and celery and pulse the mixture until finely chopped. (Alternatively, mince the soffritto by hand.)
- 2
In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the soffritto. Sauté the mixture until it is very soft, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Add the ground lamb and pancetta. Season with salt and cook, occasionally stirring, until the pancetta is crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
- 4
Add the wine, tomato paste, black pepper, and nutmeg to the sauce and continue cooking, using a wooden spoon to stir and break up any clumps of ground lamb until the wine has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- 5
Add the stock and milk and reduce to low heat. Cook, uncovered, occasionally stirring, until the meat is tender and the sauce has a thick texture, about 3 hours. If the sauce dries out during cooking, add a ½ cup of water (or pasta water). Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- 6
Remove the pot from the heat, and serve the Bolognese immediately with about a pound of cooked pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
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