Engineered Cooking

1. Preheat the oven to 325 °F and position the rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Generously season the lamb with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the seasoned lamb to the Dutch oven and cook until deeply browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Work in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the pot. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot & reduce the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot & shimmers, add in the onion, carrots, and celery, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. In the center of the pot create a hole and add the tomato paste, stir the tomato paste in the center for 1 minute before incorporating into the vegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

4. Pour the red wine into the Dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits that have formed at the bottom of the pot. Let the red wine reduce by about half, then pour in the beef stock, water, crushed tomatoes, and the herbs.

5. Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the oven to braise for 2 – 2 ½ hours. When it’s ready, the lamb should shred very easily – it’ll be tender enough that you should be able to shred it right in the ragu by using the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove & discard the spent bay leaves & herbs. Remove the lamb and shred the lamb in a bowl.

6. Add the braising liquid and vegetables to a blender and purée. Add the purée back to the Dutch oven and add the shredded lamb. Place this on a low heat to keep warm while making the pasta.

7. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente pasta. Add the pasta to the lamb ragu, along with flat leaf parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano. Transfer to a serving dish or serve from the Dutch oven.