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Home » Recipes » Meat » Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

March 7, 2021 by Alida Ryder 18 Comments

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Slow-cooked lamb ragu in a rich, tomato sauce served with soft, fluffy cauliflower gnocchi is the ultimate show stopper meal. The perfect meal for lazy weekend cooking.

Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

Ingredients

Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

  • Lamb. I used lamb shoulder but a leg of lamb will also work.
  • Onion. 
  • Garlic. 
  • Rosemary. 
  • Thyme.
  • Red wine. 
  • Beef/lamb stock.
  • Chopped tomatoes. 
  • Tomato paste. 
  • Salt and pepper. 
  • Cauliflower. 
  • Potatoes. Use any potato variety suitable for baking. Waxy potatoes will make the gnocchi gluey.
  • Egg yolk.
  • Flour.

Slow cooked lamb ragu

How to make lamb ragu

  1. Cook the lamb: Place the lamb shoulder and aromatics (onion, garlic, herbs) in a large roasting tray and add the red wine and stock. Roast until the lamb is tender and can easily be shredded (approximately 3-4 hours).
  2. Make the ragu: Saute onion and garlic until fragrant then add tomatoes, herbs, red wine and the shredded lamb and cook for 25-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly. Season to taste and serve.

Can I make this ragu in an Instant Pot/Pressure cooker?

Yes absolutely. Start the lamb in the Instant Pot and cook with the aromatics for 1 hour, 15 minutes on high pressure. Remove the lamb and shred then continue with the ragu as directed above. If you’d like to use a slow cooker, the lamb will take approximately 7-8 hours.

Cauliflower gnocchi

How do you know when gnocchi is cooked?

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then drop in the gnocchi. Once the gnocchi floats to the top, they are ready and can be scooped out with a slotted spoon and combined with sauce.

Is gnocchi gluten free?

If you use a gluten-free flour, gnocchi can be gluten free but most gnocchi recipes and shop-bought gnocchi are not gluten free.

Slow cooked recipes

  • Beef ragu with Parmesan gnocchi
  • Classic Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Slow braised beef short ribs with cheesy mash
Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

Slow-cooked lamb ragu in a rich, tomato, garlic and red wine sauce served with soft, fluffy roasted cauliflower gnocchi is the ultimate impressive meal.
3.63 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cauliflower gnocchi, Lamb ragu, Lamb sauce
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 335kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

for the ragu

  • 1 kg (2lbs) lamb shoulder
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves skin on
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 1 cup beef/lamb stock
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 red onion finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 400 g (14oz) chopped tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • salt & pepper to taste

for the gnocchi

  • 1 kg (2lb) baking/fluffy potatoes
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1½-2 cups cake/all purpose flour
  • salt to taste
  • 1 cup semolina for dusting

Instructions

  • To make the lamb ragu, pre-heat the oven to 160°c/320°F.
  • Place the lamb shoulder, along with the quartered onion, garlic cloves, rosemary, half of the red wine and stock in an oven-proof dish then season to taste and cover with foil/a lid.
  • Place in the oven and allow to roast slowly for 3-4 hours until the lamb is tender and falling off the bone.
  • In the meantime, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour until a skewer is easily inserted.
  • Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Allow to roast alongside the potatoes until golden brown and cooked through.
  • Remove the potatoes and cauliflower from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  • Puree the cauliflower and set aside.
  • Halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a bowl, using a potato masher/fork, mash until there are no lumps. Add the cauliflower puree and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Add the egg yolks and mix well.
  • Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mix in gently, you don’t want to over-work the dough. I only needed 1.5 cups of flour for my gnocchi but some mixtures might need a bit more. It’s best to make sure your potatoes are quite dry before adding the flour though as the more flour you add, the tougher your gnocchi will be. The dough should be soft and a little tacky, but not overly sticky.
  • Break tennis ball sized pieces off of the dough and roll into long strips on a floured surface. cut the strip into 1cm gnocchis and place on a tray sprinkled with semolina (the semolina won't absorb into the gnocchi) until you are ready to cook them. If you like, you can also use a fork to make indents in the gnocchi which create little spaces to suck up more of the ragu sauce.
  • When the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven and shred.
  • In a saucepan, saute the red onion and sliced garlic until soft and translucent then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, shredded lamb and all the lamb's cooking juices.
  • Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and the lamb is very tender.
  • To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and drop the gnocchi in carefully. When they float to the surface they are ready. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place straight into the ragu.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 732mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 27.1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4.4mg

 

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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Meat, Pasta, Recipes Tagged With: cauliflower gnocchi, comfort food, dinner, Gnocchi, Lamb, lamb bolognese, lamb meat sauce, lamb ragu, Meat sauce, slow cooking

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Comments

  1. Shan

    February 9, 2019 at 5:22 AM

    Can you cook this in a slow cooker

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      February 10, 2019 at 7:32 PM

      Definitely, cooking times will just be adjusted obviously.

      Reply
  2. Petro

    April 4, 2018 at 12:02 PM

    I have a leg of lamb in the fridge, can I use that instead of the shoulder?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 4, 2018 at 3:39 PM

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  3. Teri

    October 26, 2016 at 9:04 PM

    This all sounds wonderful. Do you have a conversion to US measurements?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      October 27, 2016 at 8:34 AM

      Thanks Teri. You can have a look at our conversion chart here: http://simply-delicious-food.com/2014/03/26/conversion-chart/.

      Reply
  4. Sabrina

    August 29, 2016 at 2:10 AM

    This dish looks and sounds comforting! So perfect for the cooler fall nights ahead.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 29, 2016 at 8:02 AM

      Thanks Sabrina! It’s definitely the perfect comfort food.

      Reply
  5. Kerry

    August 21, 2016 at 10:10 AM

    Made this recipe yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. That ragu is life changing and the gnocchi was perfect. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 23, 2016 at 8:12 AM

      Oh, I’m so glad you liked it! That gnocchi is just dreamy, isn’t it?

      Reply
  6. Nadia

    August 18, 2016 at 1:43 PM

    Now that is what I call delicious slow food. Love the idea of cauliflower gnocchi.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 19, 2016 at 8:45 AM

      Thanks Nadia. There’s just nothing like slow food, is there?

      Reply
  7. rebecca | DisplacedHousewife

    August 12, 2016 at 5:43 PM

    Ragu + gnocchi…you’re speaking my love language. ;0 This seriously looks so delicious and your photos are gorgeous!!! xoxo

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 15, 2016 at 9:06 AM

      Thanks R! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Karen @ Seasonal Cravings

    August 12, 2016 at 12:50 AM

    I love, love rich, tasty ragu sauce but I never eat lamb. This is a must try since hubby would love it! It makes me crave a cool fall night!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 15, 2016 at 9:06 AM

      Lamb is a constant in our diets since we have the most amazing lamb in South Africa, you should really try it. It’s amazing in a ragu like this.

      Reply
  9. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen

    August 11, 2016 at 5:05 PM

    I’m embarrassed to say, I’ve never made my own gnocchi Alida! And I love gnocchi like nobody’s business! And cauliflower too!! This dish looks like the PERFECT comfort food. The temps here are close to 100, so I’ll need to put off making this one for a bit, but it’s definitely going on my list of things I MUST TRY!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 15, 2016 at 9:07 AM

      You simply must give it a go. It’s a lot easier than it seems and so worth it. Once it cools off over there, you have to try this. 🙂

      Reply

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