Braised Lamb Shanks w/White Beans

Braised Lamb Shanks w/White Beans

1 1/2 cups of dried cannellini beans
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6 lamb shanks, 1/2 - 3/4 pound each
1 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 large carrots, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups of dry red wine
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 pounds of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

Sort through the beans and discard any broken ones or stones. Rinse beans, place in a bowl and add water to cover by 3 inches, soak overnight. In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, warm olive oil. Add lamb shanks, a few at a time, and brown on all sides, 10 - 12 minutes. Transfer shanks to a plate. Add onion, celery and carrots to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender 8 - 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring 1- 2 minutes. Drain beans, rinse and add to pot along with wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf, stir to mix. Add the lamb shanks, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until beans are tender and meat is nearly falling off the bone, 3 - 4 hours. Season with salt and pepper, remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer lamb shanks and beans to individual plates, garnish with lemon zest and parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 6.