Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 x 2.2kg/4lbs 12oz shoulder of lamb
• blade end
• 1 bulb garlic
• skin left on and cloves separated
• 4 sprigs thyme
• leaves only
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• chopped
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine
• 200ml/7fl oz lamb stock
• 200g/7oz pancetta
• chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 2 carrots
• finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• finely chopped
• 200ml/7fl oz tinned Italian chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 175ml/6fl oz red wine
• 500ml/18fl oz lamb stock
• 6 tbsp fresh basil
• torn
• 4 medium potatoes
• 200-300g/7-10oz salt
• 75g/2½oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 50g/1¾oz grated Parmesan
• 1 egg yolk
• beaten
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150g/5½oz Parmesan
• freshly grated

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• For the lamb
• rub the oil into the lamb shoulder and season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb into a deep baking tray
• surround it with the garlic
• herbs
• red wine and beef stock and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½
• cover the lamb with aluminium foil
• and continue to cook for 4½ hours. Remove and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle
• shred the meat.
• Heat a large casserole pan until hot
• add the pancetta and fry for 3-4 minutes
• or until the pancetta softens and the fat starts to melt.
• Add the olive oil and then add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 1-2 minutes
• or until softened. Add the carrots and celery to the pan and cook for another minute.
• Stir in the shredded meat
• then add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Add the red wine and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by one quarter.
• Add the lamb stock and return the ragù to the boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30- 40 minutes
• or until the ragù has thickened. Finish with the fresh basil.
• For the gnocchi
• preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Lightly score or prick the potatoes. Spread out the salt on a baking tray to make a bed of salt and sit the potatoes on top. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour
• or until tender. (You can do this at the same time as the lamb is roasting.)
• Allow the potatoes to cool until comfortable enough to handle. Cut in half and spoon the cooked potato out of the skins.
• Finely mash the potato or put through a potato ricer. Add the flour
• Parmesan and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Keep mixing until the potato forms a dough.
• Working on a lightly floured surface
• divide the dough into four. Roll each quarter into a sausage shape about 20cm/8in long and cut into 2cm/1in pieces. Shake off any excess flour.
• Heat a large saucepan of boiling salted water and add the gnocchi cook for 1-3 minutes or until they start floating on the top of the water and drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
• To serve
• stir some of the ragù through the gnocchi. Put the gnocchi in a serving bowl with freshly grated Parmesan of top.