Description
Rich Italian lamb ragu simmers tender chunks of lamb with tomatoes and aromatics until melt-in-your-mouth perfect. This Instant Pot version delivers deep flavor in just 30 minutes hands-off time.
Ingredients
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup beef broth
14 ounces canned tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 bay leaves
1 beef bouillon cube
12 ounces pappardelle pasta
Instructions
1. Pat lamb dry, cut into large chunks and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Using sauté function, heat olive oil in Instant Pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add lamb chunks to pot and sear on all sides until browned. This builds essential flavor.
4. Stir in beef broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, bay leaves and bouillon cube. Mix everything well.
5. Secure lid with vent closed. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
6. Open pot and use two forks to shred lamb. It should fall apart easily. Discard any large pieces of fat.
7. Cook pappardelle according to package directions. Add cooked pasta to sauce with 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water and toss to combine.
Notes
Don’t rush the sear – brown bits add tons of flavor to sauce.
Natural pressure release keeps meat tender – quick releasing makes it tough.
Scrape up all browned bits before pressure cooking.
For stovetop: simmer covered for 2-3 hours on low heat.
For slow cooker: cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Wide pasta like pappardelle holds sauce better than thin noodles.
Ragu tastes even better the next day after flavors meld.
Store sauce and pasta separately for 3-4 days refrigerated.
Freeze sauce for 2-3 months in airtight container.
Add pat of cold butter before serving for silky finish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian