Lamb Sausage & Shiitake Mushroom Ragu
This recipe is definitely a KEEPER! The seasoning in our lamb sausage is what gives this sauce such fabulous flavors, flavors you can’t get with just plain ground lamb. We’ll be at the Waxhaw Farmers Market on Feb 1 with tastings of this delicious sauce. If you can’t make it there to pick up a recipe, here it is for you to try. You do need to get some of our sausage, though, so give us a call at 803-804-3541 and we’ll get together between market days, I like a heavy bottom Dutch oven for this recipe. Enameled cast iron is perfect.Makes 2 quarts ~Debbie Burgess, Fox Trot Farm, February 2020
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz Fox Trot Farm White Wine & Garlic Lamb Sausage
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped (no garlic needed, it's in the sausage!)
- 2/3 cup each finely chopped carrots & celery
- 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed and caps thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinto Grigio
- 28 oz can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes (using SM tomatoes does make a difference)
- 1 cup water + 1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce (a secret ingredient!)
- 1 3-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind, or 1/2 cup shredded plus more to serve
- 1 lb. pasta of choice, prepared A nice broad, flat pasta such as farfalle is perfect for this hardy ragu.
Instructions
- Heat Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. oil and heat to shimmering.
- Add the Fox Trot Farm White Wine & Garlic Lamb sausage into the pan. Brown, breaking apart and turning frequently, till cooked through. Spoon meat into a bowl and drain fat/broth, reserving 1/4 cup.
- Add 2 tbsp. oil to Dutch oven and heat to shimmering. Add finely chopped onions and rosemary and stir till onions begin to soften, adjusting heat so you don't brown the onions.
- Pour in the 1/4 cup of reserved broth and add the carrots and celery. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring frequently, to steam the veggies a bit to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Sit in the fresh mushrooms along with the 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper. Pour in the 1 cup white wine and stir to combine all.
- Bring to a fast simmer over medium heat to cook off the alcohol and soften the shiitakes, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, while you prepare the tomatoes.
- For the tomatoes, dump the whole can into a medium bowl and, with your clean hands, break up the whole tomatoes into small pieces. Scrape the bowl of tomatoes into the Dutch oven. Use the 1 cup of water + soy sauce to rinse out the tomato can. Stir all to combine.
- If using the cheese rind, add it now. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer slowly, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. If using shredded cheese, stir it in now to melt.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Serve over pasta.