Cheesy Baked Lamb Ragu

Comfort food to the rescue! Fill your belly with this casserole-like pasta dish that’s as easy as it is comforting and pleasing. It’s a crowd-pleaser, and it’s also a single dish meal!

At Jar Goods, we always aim for what will help you get dinner on the table easier, faster, and happier. This dish is modular and customizable...sub lamb for any other ground meat or plant-based crumbles. Sub vegan cheese for dairy cheese. You can also sub our Classic Vodka in and omit the heavy cream. Easy Peasy!  Whatever you prefer, be sure you take a moment to enjoy the aroma of it stewing on the stove!

• 1 jar Jar Goods Tomato Sauce, your favorite variety 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb (or your favorite variety of ground meat or plant-based crumbles)
• 1 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti or Côtes du Rhône, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed with your hands
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 2 extra-large eggs
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• 1 pound fresh salted mozzarella, divided
• ½ cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium size, oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground meat or crumbles and saute for 8 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and cooked through. Stir in the tomato paste, Jar Goods, wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Cook rigatoni in salted water according to the directions on the package, until al dente. Drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the rigatoni and toss well. Grate half of the mozzarella on a box grater and add it to the rigatoni mixture. Add the mixture back into the pot with the meat mixture and toss well.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan and arrange slices of the remaining mozzarella on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is hot and bubbling and some of the pasta is crusty on top. Serve hot.