Italian Baked Lamb with Pasta and Peas

Name: Italian Baked Lamb with Pasta and Peas
Ingredients: 1.2kg lamb cutlets, chops or steaks; 5 bay leaves; 1x 400g tin of diced tomatoes; 3 cups chicken stock; A splash of extra virgin of olive oil (more if the lamb is lean); A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional); 2 tsp dried herbs (I like a mix of oregano and tarragon) – use 2 tbsp fresh marjoram or oregano if available; 4 -5 garlic cloves, crushed; Sea salt and pepper; 1 ½ cups short, soup pasta – ditali, risoni, baby macaroni; 2 cups frozen baby peas; Preheat oven to 190°C.; In a baking dish, lay the bay leaves on the bottom placing the lamb on top.; Pour the tomatoes and 1 cup of the stock over the lamb. Splash the oil and vinegar on top of the lamb cuts and sprinkle the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper on top. Make sure the lamb is not completely covered so it can brown a little in the oven during cooking.

Feeds a Crowd

Roasting Italian-inspired

Cook recipe

I have cooked this for 2, and for 20!

You can use lamb cuts from chops to large steaks of leg or shoulder. Choose any type of short soup pasta. The idea is to slow cook the lamb in a tomato-based sauce with the lamb poking out the top to brown as it cooks, then adding enough liquid to cook the pasta and peas. Which then provide a delicious thick sauce.

For 2 – I halve the recipe.

For 20 - I cook the recipe a few times over in separate baking dishes up to the point of adding the pasta, then finish it all off an hour or so before the party, dishes in rotation, covered with foil at the end to let it rest while it transfers to the venue.

I served the lamb with pasta Genovese - farfalle, or ideally trofie, pasta with pesto, beans and boiled new potatoes.

We set up one lazy, long, lunch table in spring, and played old fashioned sack and three-legged races etc – was one of the best parties ever.

Serves 4 – 6. DF. GF with correct pasta.

Pictured: Italian Baked Lamb

Ingredients

1.2kg lamb cutlets, chops or steaks
5 bay leaves
1x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
A splash of extra virgin of olive oil (more if the lamb is lean)
A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 tsp dried herbs (I like a mix of oregano and tarragon) – use 2 tbsp fresh marjoram or oregano if available
4 -5 garlic cloves, crushed
Sea salt and pepper
1 ½ cups short, soup pasta – ditali, risoni, baby macaroni
2 cups frozen baby peas
Preheat oven to 190°C.
In a baking dish, lay the bay leaves on the bottom placing the lamb on top.
Pour the tomatoes and 1 cup of the stock over the lamb. Splash the oil and vinegar on top of the lamb cuts and sprinkle the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper on top. Make sure the lamb is not completely covered so it can brown a little in the oven during cooking.

Method

Place the dish in the oven for one hour, turning the lamb over half way. (You can cook the dish up to this point in advance, and when you are keen to serve bring the dish back up to a good heat in the oven, and then continue as below).

Add the pasta, the rest of the stock and cook a further 20 minutes, stirring a few times. If it seems a little dry, boil the kettle and add a little hot water – not too much however so the sauce stays thick.

Add the peas and cook the last 10 minutes.

Serve with salad.

Pictured: Three-Legged Race