Pasta with lamb, with a vaguely Milanese sauce

4 lb lamb chops
2 cups chianti
2 cups diced* onion
2 cups diced* celery
2 cups diced* carrot
(add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, hearts of palm, whatever)
*small dice, say 1/4inch a side, tops
4 to 8 cups diced tomatoes, canned is fine.
How much do you like tomatoes?
8 to 16 oz tomato paste
1.5 to 3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp beef base
1 tbsp chicken base
1 lb pasta of choice

water
olive oil
salt
rosemary
thyme
oregano
basil
black pepper
hot pepper
honey (I’m not kidding!)
parmesan cheese
I use Mrs. Dash a lot
eh, whatever

time (about 1.5 - 2 hours)

1 large, heavy skillet
1 deep baking pan, large enough to hold all ingredients combined.
1 sauce pan for a all liquid and vegetable ingredients.
1 slotted spoon
1 pair kitchen tongs
1 cooling rack

Wash and pat dry the lamb chops quite dry. Place in fridge on plate.

Preheat the oven to 375degF.

Put the tomatoes and paste to simmer in the sauce pan.

Pat the chops quite dry again. Dry like the Mojave, or you’ll regret it.

Drop oven temp to 350degF.

Put oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, and
bring just to smoking. Then add the chops slowly with tongs. Turn them to brown heavily on all sides. Do in two batches if you need to, keep the oil hot.

Place browned chops into the baking pan with the bones standing. Place this into the oven foil covered. Brown the next batch of chops if you need to.

Oil the skillet again. Brown the carrots, onions, and celery a bit. Once browned, add the chianti.

Bring to a simmer, then add to the sauce pan. Add spices to taste and remaining ingredients.

Once it has simmered for about 15 minutes and you are confident of your seasoning, remove the baking pan from the oven and rack it.

Ladle the sauce over the chops, filling the baking pan. Place it back into the oven, uncovered.

Let cook at least one hour, 2 might be better—depends on the stringyness of your lamb, mine was fine in around 1 hr 30 min.

Cook the pasta in the usual way.

This serves around 4 quite well, and the leftover sauce will be even better the next day.