My Quest for an Excellent Slow Cooker Recipe: Nigella’s Indian-inspired slow-cooked Lamb Ragu with pasta
Yes! I found an excellent slow cooker recipe! So many slow cooker/crock pot recipes leave me less than satisfied somehow. I’m on a serious quest for excellent slow cooker recipes. Not simply a good recipe. Nope, I’m on the hunt for one that is a main course impressive enough to serve to guests. If you have such a recipe, please post it below right away and I promise you, I will make it right away!
I saw a clip of the Domestic Goddess herself Nigella Lawson on the Rachael Ray Show, preparing ground lamb for a Slow-Cooked Lamb Ragu with Pasta. Three things got my attention right away — Nigella said: i) the recipe was inspired by her trip to South India, where lamb was combined with mint; ii) one can add maple syrup (I’m Canadian, enough said); and iii) in the last 30 min of cooking time, the recipe calls for adding uncooked pasta to the slow cooker.
Love it. I love recipes that are inspired by anything Indian and I love recipes that are honestly “one-pot recipes” whereby you can add raw ingredients like rice or pasta and cook everything together.
Our good friend Claire is in New York City this week attending a conference and came up to Harlem to have dinner with us. Claire is a lovely, sassy Brit living in Washington, D.C. and we miss her very much, so look forward to seeing her anytime we can. As we lit some candles and sat down to dinner to catch-up like only old friends can, we dipped our forks into the al dente gemelli enveloped by the slow-cooked lamb ragu. The sweetness of the lamb and maple syrup, the tang of the tomatoes, the bite of the crushed red chilli flakes, and the creaminess of the ricotta were brought home by the fresh mint and parsley. It was exactly as Nigella said — I could absolutely taste the Indian inspiration, it reminded me of my lamb kebabs that are marinated in fresh mint and then served with mint chutney. At the same time, it was clearly not an Indian dish, but clearly an Italian-Mediterranean ragu. I loved it, Sean loved it, and Claire loved it. I told them I would share it with you immediately. File this away folks, for the next time you have guests on your doorstep and need an excellent slow cooker recipe.
Nigella’s Indian-inspired Slow-Cooked Lamb Ragu with Pasta (adapted)
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- 2 small onions (or 1 large onion), chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried mint
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ lb ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 – 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (yes, 3 cans)
- 2 cups water
- 2 ½ cups gemelli (or macaroni)
- Fresh ricotta cheese (2-3 heaping tablespoons per serving; you can also use feta or goat cheese)
- Fresh mint, finely chopped
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil on the stove. Add chopped onion and garlic, cooking over medium heat until it begins to soften.
- Add dried mint, dried oregano, and crushed chilli flakes stirring stirring over the heat, and then add the ground lamb to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden fork or spoon until it begins to lose its pinkness.
- Add maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Remove from heat and empty lamb mixture into your slow cooker insert.
- Add diced tomatoes and water and combine gently.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW OR 4 hours on HIGH. When there is 20 minutes remaining, add uncooked gemelli and stir, then close the lid and let it continue cooking for 18-20 minutes (Nigella’s recipe says 25 minutes but I like my pasta more al dente, so it’s a matter of preference — dip your fork in and see if you like the bite of the pasta, and remove it from the slow cooker insert immediately (on to a platter) so it doesn’t keep cooking/overcook).
- Serve immediately by plating each serving topped with a generous amount of fresh ricotta cheese and finely chopped fresh mint and fresh parsley. Devour immediately!
Recipe adapted from Slow-Cooker Lamb and Pasta
Sounds like a great alternative to the classic bolognese. A bonus in the city I live in (London) is that ground lamb can be found in most grocery stores. Thank you for this inspiring recipe!
Hi Yasmina! It is exactly that, an interesting alternative to a classic bolognese — the lamb puts a different spin on it, and there aren’t many ingredients yet the flavors are complex. As described, it’s like an Italian ragu but is Mediterranean at the same time. Let me know if you make it!
I didn’t get to mention – The Crockpot Ropa Vieja is a great Super Bowl dish to serve!
Laura
I tend to go for easy crockpot meals that are versatile! My personal favorite is Crockpot Ropa Vieja – you can use boneless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin. I serve it over yellow rice. Or I use it as taco/burrito stuffing OR great as sliders!
You can up the heat if you want as well! Here is the link:
http://simplesolutionsdiva.com/?p=259
Laura hi! I love the idea of versatility! Thank you very much for telling me about your Crockpot Ropa Vieja, I will definitely make it and let you know — what a great idea not just for dinner but as leftovers for lunches!
I can totally attest to the fabulousness of this dish. A delicious and complex blend of flavors that ‘warms the cockles’ after a busy (and chilly) day in the Big Apple, and leaves the lucky diner happy and satisfied. And its preparation appeared to require no fussing, which left plenty of time for these old friends to catch up. Perfect!
Dearest Claire! So glad to hear my slow cooker experiment-lamb ragu hit the spot for you after a busy conference day buzzing around Manhattan! Come back again soon! xo