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Lamb casserole with butternut squash.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 Tbsp olive oil
4 Lamb shanks or necks of lamb (1 lb each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 garlic cloves, 12 unpeeled,4 minced
6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 cups dry red wine
6 cups chicken stock
Two 3-inch strips of orange zest
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups cooked cannellini beans

1 Heat 4 Tbsp of olive oil in a large cast-iron enameled casserole. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, add them to the casserole and brown well on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a plate.

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange two racks in the oven, one to hold the casserole and one to hold a baking sheet with the squash. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, celery, carrots and onion to the casserole. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; boil over high heat until the liquid is very syrupy, about 15 minutes.

3 Return the lamb to the casserole and add the stock and orange zest. Bring to a simmer. Cover the casserole and braise the lamb in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender (when we cooked this dish it took 3 hours); turn the lamb from time to time as it cooks.

4 Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (along with the lamb) for about an hour, or until tender.
5 In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic with the parsley and lemon zest (the "gremolata"). Set aside.

6 Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a plate. Pass the sauce through a coarse strainer, pressing hard on the vegetables. Discard the vegetable pulp. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.

7 Return the sauce to the casserole, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the lamb and squash; simmer just until warmed through. Add the cannellini beans, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes to allow for the flavors to blend.

8 Spoon the vegetables and sauce into 2 large shallow bowls and set the lamb on top. Garnish with the gremolata and serve.