This Lamb Bolognese is a delicious variation of an Italian classic. It’s rich in flavor and makes a super cozy weeknight meal!
We’ve been making this lamb bolognese on and off for the past few years and it’s always a favorite. It’s incredibly easy to make and it’s one of those comforting dishes that never fails to fill you up.
It’s a bit chunkier than traditional bolognese, but still just as tasty. The sauce is simmered for about an hour which allows all the flavors to meld together and tenderize the lamb. It’s perfect for Easter or colder months when you’re craving something cozy.
For more pasta recipes, try our Bucatini with Spicy Vodka Sauce or Trofie with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Parsley Pesto.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple to Make: Besides the pasta, everything comes together easily in one pan. And most of the cook time is spent hands off.
- Spiced Lamb: There’s no shortage of herbs and spices in the meat which adds to the robust flavor of this dish. You can even add a bit of crushed red pepper if you like things spicy!
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Salted Butter + Olive Oil: We like the combination of both butter and olive oil for this recipe, but feel free to substitute the butter with an extra tbsp of oil.
- Yellow Onion + Celery + Carrots: This is the holy trinity of Italian cooking. It’s known as soffritto which is the base for lots of Italian dishes.
- Garlic: You’ll need 3 cloves.
- Ground Lamb: We use 80% lean ground lamb. The slight gaminess adds a rich depth of flavor that you can’t get from beef or pork.
- Dried Herbs & Spices: We use a combination of oregano, Italian parsley, dill, and cumin to flavor the meat.
- Salt + Pepper: We use fine sea salt. You may need to use less if using regular table salt.
- Dry White Wine: This helps to scrape any brown bits from the pan and adds an extra element of flavor.
- Tomato Paste: For thickening the sauce.
- Crushed Tomatoes: You’ll need 1 cup or 250 ml of canned crushed tomatoes.
- Whole Milk: A little bit of milk gives the sauce a boost of richness and cuts through the acidity.
- Spaghetti: You can substitute this for a flat shaped pasta like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or paccheri. These are best for hearty meat sauces like bolognese.
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Brown the lamb. Add the ground lamb to a deep skillet over medium-high heat and brown it on all sides. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, drain the fat and set aside in a bowl.
STEP 2: Cook the soffritto.To the same pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat then toss in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook them until softened then add the lamb back to the pan.
STEP 3: Add the herbs, wine, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add the dried herbs and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add the wine and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine.
STEP 4: Cover and cook on low heat. Let the flavors marinate by covering the pan with a lid and cooking on low heat for 45 minutes. Then stir in the milk and cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
As the lamb bolognese sauce gets closer to being done, bring a pot of salted water to a boil then cook your pasta to al dente according to package instructions.
STEP 5: Add the pasta. Once the sauce is done, toss in the pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Expert Tips
- Use spaghetti or a wide, flat-shaped pasta. Spaghetti bolognese will forever be a classic, but pastas like tagliatelle, pappardelle, and paccheri are great for holding meat-based sauces like bolognese.
- Go for a bronze cut pasta. The rough edges help the liquid in the sauce to cling to the pasta better.
FAQ
If you’ve never made bolognese before, it may seem unusual at first to add milk to a tomato and meat based sauce. However, a small amount of milk actually adds a nice depth of flavor and richness that ties everything together. It’s very common in Italy to make bolognese this way, and it’s also a great way to cut through the acidity from the tomatoes and wine. In short, it just makes it extra delicious!
Storage & Freezing
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: We recommend freezing the lamb bolognese sauce separately and adding the pasta once you’re ready to serve it. Place the sauce in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Lamb Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (14 g) salted butter
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup (97 g) yellow onion diced
- ⅔ cup (90 g) celery diced, about 2 ribs of celery
- ⅔ cup (95 g) carrots diced, about 1 large carrot
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb (454 g) ground lamb 80% lean
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dried Italian parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- ½-1 tsp crushed red pepper optional
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine
- ¼ cup (62 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (250 ml) canned crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
- 10 oz (282 g) uncooked spaghetti or wide shaped pasta
Instructions
- In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown the lamb, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the fat and set the lamb aside in a bowl.
- In the same pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Return the lamb to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the oregano, parsley, dill, cumin, crushed red pepper (optional), salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cooking wine and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes.
- As the sauce gets closer to being done, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions.
- Remove the lid and stir the milk into the sauce. Cover it back up and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine everything. Top with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy!
Notes
- Place any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. If freezing, freeze the sauce by itself for up to 3 months then thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Makes 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry you are.
- Nutrition info is for 1 out of 4 servings.
Mitch says
Hello!
This recipe looks amazing. Thank you. I do have a question, though. It seems a bit thick. I like to sop up some sauce with bread. Is there a way to thin it without taking away from the flavor?
Thanks
fancifuleats says
Hi, Mitch! It’s meant to be pretty thick, but you can always try adding a splash of pasta water or beef stock to thin it out. Hope that helps and thanks for the kind comment. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂