Ragu Al Maialino

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lamb shoulder (bone in @ 4 pounds)
• salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 celery rib, cut into large pieces
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large pieces
• 1 quart chicken stock (or enough to almost cover the lamb)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 (9 ounce) boxes lasagna noodles, broken into 3-inch shards
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons grated parmasan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Recipe

• 1 remove the thick skin from the lamb, leaving a thin layer of fat on top of the meat. season heavily with salt and place in the refrigerator until ready to use, as long as overnight.
• 2 preheat the oven to 350°f place a deep saucepan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. gently cook the onion, celery and fennel until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 3 rinse lamb to remove excess salt, dry with a paper towel and add to seasoned broth. cover and place in the oven for 90 - 120 minutes, until the meat just begins to pull away from the bone.
• 4 cool meat and broth on the stove top for 30 minutes. remove the lamb and gently pull the meat from the bone, then tear the chunks into bite-size shreds. place these in a large bowl.
• 5 strain the broth into a separate bowl and then pour enough of it over the meat to barely cover. (use the rest for soup.) cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• 6 when ready to make, put a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. while the water is heating up, place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the lamb and covering liquid. bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. add the butter and stir to emulsify into a sauce.
• 7 meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package, 10 to 12 minutes. when it is finished, drain and add to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. simmer for 1 minute, then add the lemon juice, half of the cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil and the parsley. stir to incorporate.
• 8 serve along with remaining cheese.