Best Greek Lamb Yoghurt Pasta Bake Recipes

LAMB BAKED IN YOGURT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, wide pan over medium-high heat and brown the lamb pieces, turning to color evenly. Add the scallions and stir until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the rice and pour in the wine and water. As soon as the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, season the contents of the pot with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
• Whisk the eggs until creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt and flour. Whisk the yogurt mixture into the eggs and stir in the chopped mint. Season lightly with a little salt.
• Place the lamb mixture in a clay or ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish about 3 inches/7.5 cm deep. Spread the yogurt mixture evenly over the meat. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until the yogurt is set and lightly browned on top and then cover and cook for another 45 minutes until the lamb tender. Ten minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle, if desired, with grated kefalotyri cheese.

YOGURT-MARINATED ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Marinade: Use a spoon to peel the ginger. Peel garlic and onion. Roughly chop onion and ginger, followed by half of the parsley and cilantro, including stems. In a blender, add the ginger, onion, garlic, herbs, ⅓ of the yogurt, and salt. Purée until smooth. Add the remaining yogurt and purée again to combine. Set aside.
• Lamb: Place lamb on a flat surface. Use a sharp knife to poke holes in the lamb at 1½-inch intervals; this will help the lamb absorb the marinade. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Fit a brining bag into a large container (or the roasting pan you'll be using, if it fits in the refrigerator). Then place the lamb into the bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the marinade into the lamb so all of the meat is covered, then seal the bag. Refrigerate for 1-2 days (longer marination will yield more tenderized lamb).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the lamb and all of the marinade into a roasting pan. Lay parchment paper over the lamb to cover, then cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour. (Total roasting time will be 3 hours.)
• After 1 hour, remove lamb from oven. Gently remove foil and parchment. (The yogurt will have separated into curds and whey, which is normal.) Use tongs to flip the lamb over, then cover with parchment and foil again. Place back into the oven for 1 hour. After the second hour of roasting, flip the lamb again and place back into the oven, uncovered, for 1 final hour.
• After a total of 3 hours of roasting, remove lamb. Pierce the lamb with a sharp knife to check for doneness. If there isn't a lot of resistance, it's done. Flip lamb over, spoon yogurt solids on top, and let rest, 30 minutes.
• Almond Relish: Roughly chop the almonds, place in a medium bowl, and set aside. Pick the leaves off the remaining cilantro and parsley, bunch together, and finely chop. Add herbs to the almonds. Add enough olive oil to cover, about ½ cup, and mix. Juice 3 of the 4 lemon halves into the relish, mix, and add salt to taste. Use the juice of the remaining lemon half to taste.
• Assembly: Use tongs and a meat fork to transfer lamb to a serving platter. Spoon relish over the lamb, and serve.

GREEK LAMB & MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the lamb mince, turn up the heat and brown, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon.
• Once the lamb is browned, add the cinnamon, crumbled stock cube, tomatoes and oregano. Stir well and simmer for 15 mins, covered, then for 15 mins, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have cooked down.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Mix together the ricotta, most of the parmesan and the milk with plenty of seasoning, and stir into the macaroni. Tip the mince into a large baking dish, top with the macaroni mixture, and scatter over the remaining parmesan. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve hot with garlic bread, if you like.

GREEK LAMB WITH YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the chops in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.
• Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it's a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

GREEK LAMB & YOGHURT PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in boiling salted water until just tender, and drain.
• Heat oil in pan, sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until they have softened; remove from the onion and garlic mixture from the pan.
• Add the lamb to the same pan in batches until the lamb is browned; depending on the size of the pan, you may need to brown one batch of lamb at a time.
• Add herbs, olives, zucchini and tomatoes and bring to the boil; if adding wine, allow the liquid to reduce before adding the wine.
• Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.
• Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Spoon pasta mixture into a large ovenproof, freezer-proof (if you are planning to freeze this dish) 10 cup capacity dish, or into several smaller dishes.
• Pour the topping over the mixture and sprinkle with parmesan.
• Cook in a moderate oven (180°C) for about 45 minutes or for a shorter time if you have used several smaller dishes.
• Serve with rocket or baby spinach leaves.
• To Freeze: make the recipe to the end of step 8. Cool for 15 minutes, cover with plastic wrap, label and freeze for up to 2 months.
• To Serve: Thaw the pasta in its dish in the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, place the dish on an oven tray, cover it tightly with foil and bake in a moderate oven ((180°C) for about 30 minutes. Remember, if you have used a smaller dish for a smaller quantity, it will not require as long for reheating. Serve with rocket or baby spinach leaves.