Lamb Ragù with Creamy Polenta

Serves 4 to 6

LIKE EVERY SMART PERSON in the universe, I have a real weakness for long-cooked meat sauces. They’re a staple of my kitchen, and I usually have some Bolognese sauce or this lamb ragù in my freezer during the winter months, a sort of dinner insurance policy. Though the recipe takes some time, it’s very simple, the action mostly unattended simmering. And though the ragù is made with ground lamb, it has a bright freshness and is warming but not heavy. If you don’t have a good source for ground lamb or don’t like its flavor, the ragù is equally good made with ground beef chuck. I like it spooned over creamy polenta, but it would be good with orecchiette or another similar pasta, or just on its own, with a hunk of crusty bread alongside.

FOR THE RAGÙ:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup finely diced carrots

½ cup finely diced fennel

½ cup finely diced celery

1½ pounds ground lamb

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2-inch strip orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)

FOR THE POLENTA:

5 cups water

1 cup polenta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons mascarpone

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Kosher salt

In a large high-sided pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, fennel, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, add the lamb, and cook, breaking up the chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine and cook until the wine is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, stock, tomatoes, rosemary, and orange zest and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the liquid is gently simmering, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have melded, about 1½ to 2 hours. Season to taste with additional salt.

While the ragù cooks, make the polenta: Bring the 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually add the polenta, whisking constantly as you add to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the heat so the polenta is bubbling gently (I describe the look and sound of polenta at this stage as “La Brea Tar Pit”) and cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is tender, about 1 hour. If the polenta becomes too thick, add a bit of hot water to loosen it. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, mascarpone, and Parmigiano and season to taste with salt. If you’re not serving the polenta right away, transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set over a saucepan of simmering water. You can hold the polenta like this for an hour, replenishing the water in the saucepan as needed.

To serve, spoon some of the polenta into a bowl and top with a few spoonfuls of ragù. Top with grated Parmigiano and serve immediately.