Looking for the perfect way to use up leftover roast lamb? This recipe for leftover lamb ragu is filled with veggies, and it’s super tasty, colourful and filling.
I love pasta, and so am quite keen on anything that goes with pasta.
My son doesn’t like cream, or cream-based sauces so we tend to stick to a tomato-based sauce if we’re all eating together. Ragu is absolutely perfect, and Lamb ragu with leftover lamb is even better.
Using leftover roast lamb means that you’ve already got the most expensive ingredient. You save money and avoid waste.
Getting absolutely delicious family dinners from lamb leftovers is always a good idea.
Ingredients for Leftover Roast Lamb Ragu
Ragu can seem overwhelming because there are quite a lot of ingredients. I don’t think I’d really realised until I put them all together for a photo, but it’s a lot!
However, you kinda throw most of them in at the same time, and a few are optional. Many of them are store-cupboard essentials that you are bound to already have in, and you can make a few subs if you need to.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the big list!
For my Leftover Roast Lamb Ragu I use:
Cooking Oil – I use cooking spray, but olive oil or vegetable oil is great too.
Leftover Lamb – About 500g of cooked lamb is ideal, but this Leftover lamb ragu is packed with veggies, so don’t worry if you have less. The cut of lamb doesn’t really matter, a Leftover lamb shoulder ragu or a Leftover lamb leg ragu would be great.
Red Onion
Garlic
Carrots – I specify that these should be finely diced, but a little chunkier is fine too, I go round around 3-5mm chunks of carrot and courgette, but dice onion and pepper smaller.
Peppers – Any colour is fine. I don’t always add these, but if we’ve got some in, they make a great addition, adding colour, flavour and extra nutrients. Soffritto usually contains celery, which I don’t like, so peppers are a good switch.
Salt and Pepper
Fennel Seeds – This isn’t absolutely essential and I only add a tiny bit to my Leftover Lamb Ragu Recipe, but I love this additional flavour.
Chilli Flakes – Again, only a pinch, but I love the flavour. If you don’t have chilli flakes, you can skip, or add one teaspoon of chilli powder.
Tomato Puree
Red Wine – Anything that you’ve got. I love the flavour of a leftover lamb ragu with red wine, but you can skip this too if you prefer, and add 100ml extra stock, or even water.
Chopped Tomatoes
Lamb Stock – If you don’t have lamb, swap for beef.
Courgette
Dried Thyme
Balsamic Vinegar
Bay Leaves
How to Make Leftover Roast Lamb Ragu
This lamb leftovers pasta favourite is super easy!
I basically fry the onions, garlic, carrots and peppers until they soften. Then I add the lamb and courgettes, before pouring in the wine, stock tomatoes and herbs and spices and simmering away.
There’s a fair bit of chopping at the start, and it’s a long cook time, but you don’t have to do much during that time. See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Why is My Ragu Watery?
I cook this Lamb Ragu Recipe for a good 90 minutes, so it really shouldn’t be watery.
But sometimes peppers and other veg are juicier than usual, and you can end up with a wetter leftover roast lamb ragu.
In this case, you can simmer it for a little longer, until the sauce reduces further, or add a bit more tomato puree.
If your left over lamb ragu is frequently too watery, I recommend using less stock in the first place.
How Long Should You Cook Lamb Ragu?
This is a slow-cooked meal, with super tender meat.
Once all of my ingredients are in, I simmer my Leftover lamb ragu dish for about 90 minutes. You could cook it for longer, or eat after an hour, but I find 90 minutes to be absolutely perfect when it comes to getting a rich, tasty sauce that’s thick enough to stick to your pasta instead of just running off.
I don’t have a slow cooker, but I suspect this recipe would work really well.
What Should I Serve with Lamb Ragu?
Lamb ragu is ideal with pasta. I love tagliatelle, but rigatoni with lamb ragu, Lamb ragu with pappardelle or any other pasta with lamb ragu would be lovely.
If you don’t fancy, or like pasta, I’d recommend lamb ragu with potato gnocchi, or something like rice or potatoes.
Other Leftover Lamb Recipes
If you are looking for more recipes for leftover lamb you might want to try:
Leftover Lamb Ragu
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Looking for the perfect way to use up leftover roast lamb? This recipe for leftover lamb ragu is filled with veggies, and it’s super tasty, colourful and filling.
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
- 500g Leftover Roast Lamb (Chopped into 1cm chunks)
- 1 Red Onion (Finely diced)
- 4 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 2 Large Carrots (Peeled and finely diced)
- 2 Peppers (Deseeded and finely diced)
- Pinch Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- Pinch Chilli Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 1 Courgette (Finely Diced)
- 150 ml Red Wine
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
- 500 ml Lamb Stock
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
- Mist a large flameproof pan or dish with cooking spray and warm over a medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, carrots and peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft.
- Add the fennel, chilli and tomato puree and stir for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan if needed.
- Add the lamb and courgette and mix everything together thoroughly.
- Pour in stock, tomatoes, thyme, bay and balsamic vinegar and stir.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a little water if it starts to dry out too much.
- Serve with pasta cooked to package instructions.
Notes
- Swap the wine for more stock if you prefer.
- Nutritional information does not include pasta.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Made with Leftovers
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 534kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 44g
- Cholesterol: 156mg
