Slow-cooked lamb shoulder makes the perfect base for a rich and meaty sauce for pasta. It can be made a couple of days ahead, letting the flavours meld. The boned...
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder makes the perfect base for a rich and meaty sauce for pasta. It can be made a couple of days ahead, letting the flavours meld. The boned shoulder is cooked as a whole piece, then shredded into the rich sauce.
Put the lamb in a bowl and rub all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large casserole, then add the lamb. Fry over a high heat for 5 minutes, turning halfway until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat to low. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary and a little salt and pepper, fry for 10 minutes until softened and golden, then pour in the wine. Bring to the boil for 1 minute, then add the passata and sugar.
Return the lamb to the pan along with the bay leaves and bring back to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer gently over a very low heat for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge overnight.
Remove the ragù from the fridge and scrape off and discard any excess fat, which should have risen to the top and set solid. Put the pan over a low heat to warm through until the sauce loosens, then use 2 forks to pull the meat apart into thin shreds, using scissors to cut through any tough bits. Discard the bay leaves along with any large chunks of fat or gristle.
Stir in the olives, capers and parsley (see Make Ahead) and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes until hot throughout. Serve with your favourite pasta, topped with some grated parmesan, if you like.