Frersh Garganelli with Tangy Lamb Ragu

This is such a flavorful, hearty pasta - perfect for cold weather. Your house will smell amazing. I love using balsamic vinegar in braising. It adds such a nice flavor. I made the garganelli, but you can use rigatoni too. 

Ingredients:

1 lamb shank

1/2 cup flour

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced

1 small leek, thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 

1 celery stock, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Leaves of 4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1 28oz can tomatoes and their juices

Directions:

Season the lamb shank liberally with salt. Dust the shank with flour. In a large heavy  bottom pot or braiser, heat up olive oil. Brown the shank on all sides. 

Remove to a plate. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, leek, and thyme. Sauté until soft but not brown.

Push the veggies to the side and add the tomato paste. Toast it a little, then mix in with  the rest of the vegetables. 

Add the balsamic and cook until it has almost evaporated completely.

Add the wine and cook down until you can drag a spoon through and see the bottom. 

Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them and their juice to the pan. Add the chicken broth and then nestle the shank into the sauce. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 3 hours, stirring and turning occasionally. 

The meat will pull away from the bone - very Flintstones looking. After 3 hours, the meat should be extremely tender and falling off the bone. Remove the shank and put on a plate. 

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, pushing through as much as you can. 

Return it to the pot and skim as much fat as you can. 

Shred the lamb with two forks. 

Add the meat back into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. 

Serve over garganelli or rigatoni.