Lamb Ragu a la Saint Rada

Work Christmas lunch at Strada today and very nice it was too. I had Pappardelle with a rich lamb ragu. This is my version. It makes loads but you  know my views on ragu by now. 1) You’ll want it again tomorrow. 2) It freezes.

2 kg shoulder of lamb, unboned weight

200ml white wine

4 tbs olive oil

3 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

200ml meat stock

Leaves of 2 sprigs Thyme

2 Bay Leaves

Needles of 2 rosemary sprigs

2 tins chopped tomatoes

500g Pappardelle (or any other ribbon type pasta)

Grated parmesan to serve

Cut the lamb up into small cubes – I think very small is best so that the lamp is picked up by the pasta. Take your time and just enjoy doing it. If you can multi-task, an audio book of something improving might be an idea – learning Italian perhaps! If you've got the bone, roast it. If your boy makes jokes about stuffing, wait until he gets started on the bone!

Brown the lamb in a sauté pan and then add the onions, and celery. Garlic goes in last. Tip into a casserole and pour on the wine. And in fact everything else. I think red wine will be preferable to have with the meal, but you’ve opened a bottle of white for the recipe. What’s a boy to do? “Just the one, Mrs Wembley!” Push the roasted bone down into the sauce to add depth of flavour.

A word on the Italian brands I keep mentioning – Cirio Tomatoes have been canned in Italy since 1856 and De Cecco have been making pasta since 1908. They must be doing something right so it’s worth hunting them out.

Cover and cook in a preheated oven at 200/ Gas 6 for up to 2 hours, though check after an hour and a half. Fish out the bone and the bay leaves. Their work is done.

Serve with Pappardelle pasta and a good sprinkling of Parmesan. The waiter who grated the cheese over my Christmas lunch was adorable. Dark brown eyes with an eager smile. His hair was just long enough to curl behind his ears. Molto Bello! Having someone like that would really add the finishing touch to this dish. You’ll have to improvise, otherwise.