Rich and tender lamb in velvety red tomato sauce coated over beautiful pappardelle pasta. Instant Pot Lamb Ragu is simple to make and full of bold, comfort food flavors!
Break out the house pants my friends, we be gettin' cozy. It's comfort food time, and in this house that means pasta. Instant Pot Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle is about to go down.
If you and I are the same - which I think maybe there are some things that we are the same on because, well hello, you're here. (And I love you for it). But anyways, if we're the same then pasta is a soul food. Like you feel it's goodness in your heart first and then your belly.
In my mind, pasta could solve world peace. Good pasta. The kind that when you take a bite you have to close your eyes because there is just SO. MUCH. GOOD.
Well, pasta would be solving the world peace problem if it wasn't in a food coma laying on the couch because it was lathered up with rich, full flavored lamb ragu. Guess we will have to work on that world peace thing ourselves.
Go change your pants
But first, go change your pants. No really. We're talking, stretchy waist bands, cozy material, where-are-my-slippers kind of outfit change.
Not only is this Instant Pot Lamb Ragu the epitome of cold weather comfort food, it's also superbly easy.
My sister once compared her feelings for the Instant Pot to how people must have felt when the dishwasher was invented. Like, 'where have you been all my life? I can now do the 5,000 other things on my to do list.'
Whether that's laundry, errands, or sitting on the couch binging Netflix - I'll take option number 3 please. We all have different priorities depending on the day. The I.P. is here to help you prioritize....prioritize this Lamb Ragu right in your belly.
Why should you make Instant Pot Lamb Ragu? In case you need convincing here are the major points:
- Normally tough cuts of meat, the pressure of the instant pot seriously tenderizes the lamb chops making it fall right off the bone. The same falling off goodness can happen on the stove top, dutch oven style over a longer period of time.
- One pan sauce - braise, cook and just add pasta
- Rich flavors laced throughout the sauce
- Lamb adds great flavor but not a ton of fat
Just assemble and cook
You like things that are easy right? Of course its nice to make a fancy pants meal that requires a day in the kitchen and all that, but since we're already in our sweat pants we're not jumping on that train. We're all aboard the easy meal train.
The best cut for this dish is the lamb loin chop. These beauts right here.
Use the sauté setting to brown the chops then remove them to a plate. Since we've got all those delicious drippings in there we'll sauté the onions and garlic to trap the goodness.
If there's brown bits on the bottom from the lamb, no sweat. Thats what the wine is for. Pour that in and scrape them off as it bubbles.
You guys, you're almost done. ALREADY. The hard part is over.
Just add the lamb and any drippings back to the pan, the remaining ingredients, and let the instant pot do its magic. After cooking remove the bones and gently shred the meat.
Looking for more delicious red sauce pasta recipes? Try these!
- Cheesy Sausage and Peppers Pasta Bake
- Mozzarella Meatballs with Fresh Linguine
- Fresh Herb Lasagna Bolognese
- Garlicky Diced Tomato Sauce with Black Bean Pasta
Instant Pot Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds lamb loin chops
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- 1 24-ounce jar tomato basil sauce (the Raos brand is my favorite)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon double concentrate tomato paste (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
- additional salt and pepper for seasoning
- romano cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Season + Sear: Remove the lamb from the packaging and pat with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the instant pot on normal 'Sauté'. Once the oil is shimmering, sear the lamb on both sides until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pot to a plate while you build the sauce.
- Sauté + Combine: Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are soften and shiny. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and scrape any bits of meat that might have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the jarred tomato sauce to the pot then add the water to the jar. With the lid on the jar, shake to get any remaining sauce out of the jar and pour into the pot. Add tomato paste, salt, peppers to the pot and stir to combine. Return the lamb and any drippings on the plate back to the pot.
- Cook: Seal the pot with the lid and set the steam valve to 'sealing' position. Using the 'meat/stew' option cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. After cooking, let the instant pot naturally decrease pressure for 10 minutes before venting. Once vented remove the lid. Towards the end of the cooking process bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove top. Cook pappardelle pasta to the package instructions for 'al dente' pasta.
- Toss + Plate: Using tongs, remove the lamb from the sauce and pull the meat apart into small bite sized pieces. Discard the bones and return the meat and any drippings back to the sauce. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Plate and serve with fresh grated romano cheese.
Notes
- Use 2 tablespoons if the tomato paste is not double concentrate.
Nutrition
Becky says
This was a fabulous recipe. I substituted goat for lamb since that’s what was in my freezer & it was so good! Question, however, I had sauce burned on the bottom of my pot. I’m sure it was my issue, but how can I fix this? I’ve had it happen on a couple different recipes with sauce cooking as well. Ideas?
Lauren says
The burnt bottom issue is usually from not having enough liquid in the IP. Try adding like 1/3 to 1/2 cup water next time you make any recipe you've run into that issue before.
Gerald Kolpan says
Can I make this with ground lamb? Any changes?
Lauren says
Yes, you can definitely make this with ground lamb, but I would just make it on the stove top rather than using the Instant Pot. If you decide to go that route you can leave out the 1/2 cup of water.
Michelle R says
My family said that this was one of the best dishes I've ever cooked! Truly a dish that you would find in a fine restaurant.
Lauren says
Thank you Michelle! So glad to hear everyone loved it!
Samantha S says
Can you share how you'd make this without using jarred tomato sauce - Ie canned tomatoes and what portions of herbs? I avoid jarred sauces for their sugar content.
Thanks, looking forward to trying it!
Lauren says
Hi Samantha - It would vary depending on the tomatoes. If the canned tomatoes are whole you'll probably need about 4 cups, but if they're already crushed/sauced than 3 cups should do the trick. I'd try adding about 1 teaspoon of italian seasoning for a quick fix or you can add fresh rosemary, parsley and basil to instant pot when cooking.