Lamb with Roasted Vegetables

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C/Fan 180 °C/Gas Mark 6. Place all the vegetables in a large roasting tin.
2. Drizzle over 4 tbsp. of oil and toss to coat the vegetables. Roast for 15 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, place the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor with the remaining oil and blend on the pulse setting until a coarse paste is formed.
4. Press this mix onto the skin of the racks of lamb. 
5. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and agitate the vegetables.
6. Lay the racks of lamb on top of the vegetables and roast for a further 20-25 minutes or until the lamb is still pink in the middle.
7. Remove the lamb and set to 'rest' for 5 minutes before carving into cutlets. Serve with the vegetables.

Chef's tip

You may want to make some more of the basil, pine nuts and garlic pesto to use raw on the cooked lamb and vegetables.

Serving suggestion

Serve with a large green salad. Avoid serving a starchy opener (pasta or rice) since this course already contains potatoes.

Wine selection

Cabernet Sauvignon Sicilia DOC, Altemura Primitivo di Manduria DOC or Primitivo Salento IGT.

Family tip

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Dish history

This is the perfect recipe for a special festive day, for a Sunday with your family or a dinner with friends. In Italy, lamb is also one of the most traditional Easter dishes and its cuts and preparation can vary a lot from one region to another. Lamb and mutton have very distinctive tastes (and smells), especially if the lamb is very young; in central Italy, milk-fed lamb - meat from a 4 weeks old un-weaned lamb - is considered a delicacy and, in the regions of Lazio and Abruzzo, it is called 'abbacchio'. This recipe shows off a simple way of cooking a delicious meaty course. The vegetables make it tempting and good to look at, while adding flavour to the meat and slightly toning down its strong taste. A savoury dish, great matched with a good bottle of full-bodied red wine.