Once upon a time I helped raise 4 children. And my little darlings loved to eat. And one of their favorite dishes was leg of lamb. Now with 4 hungry kidlets, there were rarely leftovers of any kind. But this was especially true when leg of lamb was on the menu. They would actually fight over who was going to be the chosen one to gnaw on the bone! Seriously!

Now that my memories of my children’s formative years are gracing me more often as I race into my senior years, I take delight in some of the consequences of their adulthood. Like the fact that I now almost always have leftovers when I cook a leg of lamb. Oh joy and delight! But with the actual reality of leftover lamb comes the inevitable question of what the heck to do with it?

OK, I could prepare a lamb curry. It’s always a winner. But not the other evening because I had served chicken curry only two nights before. So now what? Well then, there’s always soup. Nope. Not workin’ for me this time. How about stew? No again. Then a crazy thought. What about Italian? What about Italian!! How about a ragù? How about a ragù!! So the following recipe is the result. Hope you enjoy it.

And for those of you who still have children at home, and therefore no leftovers, I included a version using uncooked lamb. And yes I know lamb might be a hard cell for young children. Bambi and all. So just call it “pasta with red sauce”. If they insist on knowing what’s in the sauce, consider calling the meat “young sheep”. If your children are teenagers, you’re on your own!

Ragù Using Leftover Lamb:

• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ c. chopped onion
• ½ c. finely diced carrot
• ½ c. finely diced celery
• ½ c. finely chopped pancetta
• 2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 lg. garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1 28-oz. can Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped if necessary, with their juices
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ c. whole milk or half and half
• ½ -¾ lb. leftover lamb, cut into fine dice (plus any saved juices from the roasting pan)
• ½ -¾ lb. penne pasta, cooked al dente (or your pasta of choice)
• 2/3 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Pour the oil into a large fry pan and place over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is pale gold. Add the pancetta and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta fat is rendered; the pancetta should remain soft. Add the chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and slowly simmer until evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth; simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the milk and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked lamb and cook until the lamb is just warm. Adjust seasoning. Add the drained pasta and the 2/3rds cup cheese. Serve at once, passing additional cheese at the table.

Ragù Using Uncooked Lamb:

• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, or more if required
• ¾ lb. lamb cubes, dried with paper towels
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ c. chopped onion
• ½ c. finely diced carrot
• ½ c. finely diced celery
• ½ c. finely chopped pancetta
• 2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 lg. garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1 28-oz. can Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped if necessary, with their juices
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ c. whole milk or half and half
• ¾ lb. penne pasta, cooked al dente
• 2/3 c. freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Pour the oil into a large fry pan and place over medium heat. Add the lamb pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry until the outside is browned but the inside is still medium rare. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pan, adding a little more oil if necessary. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is pale gold. Add the pancetta and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta fat is rendered; the pancetta should remain soft. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and slowly simmer until evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth; simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the milk and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked lamb and cook until the lamb is just warm. Adjust seasoning. Add the drained pasta and the 2/3rds cup cheese. Serve at once, passing additional cheese at the table.