Roast Lamb Pesto Pasta

Looking for an alternative to a lamb roast Sunday dinner? This lamb pesto pasta is quick and tasty for a no-fuss mid-week meal!

*This post contains a paid video advertisement by Simply Beef and Lamb.

A roast joint doesn't always have to be eaten on a Sunday as Simply Beef and Lamb proved to me last week.  And if you pick up a mini roast (a smaller piece of meat, around 400-450g between two people) it can be far less time consuming to cook with, say, a pasta instead.  And the prep is so quick and easy, it's perfect for anyone who's busy!

But to be sure you're picking up farm assured quality beef and lamb, look out for the Red Tractor logo on the packaging in your local supermarket.  (Or you could visit a near by butchers like I did).

And for today's recipe, I made this really quick (and lush) healthy red pesto that I adapted just for you from their original recipe here and both my fiancé and I loved it.  It's so delicious and full of flavour, I urge you to try it!

Recipe - Serves 2

• 1 x 400-450g/14oz-1lb lean lamb mini roast (I used lamb leg and sliced around the bone but you could use flank)
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 175g dried pasta
• 100g/4oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• Large handful of baby spinach leaves
• Pinch of pine nuts (optional)
• Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• Seasoning

For the Quick Pesto:

• 4 tablespoon passata
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 25g grated Parmesan (or try lower fat mature cheddar)
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• 4 sun dried tomatoes (not in oil if you can avoid it)  *If using dried, then steep in boiling water for 30 minutes)

Method

1. Preheat your oven on gas mark 5 or 190 degrees.
2. Make several slits over the surface of your lamb, then season and set aside to make the pesto.
3. In a mini food processor, blend all the pesto ingredients to a fine paste and evenly spread 2 tablespoon of it over the top of the lamb.
4. Transfer to a metal rack in a roasting tin, lined with tin foil and roast for 35-40 minutes.
5. Once cooked, leave to rest while covered in tin foil while you cook the pasta as instructed at the back of the packet.
6. Drain the pasta and stir in the remaining pesto, tomatoes and spinach and top with sliced lamb.
7. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley and pine nuts if using.

For everything you need to know about beef and lamb, more recipe ideas and information about Red Tractor beef and lamb, please visit www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk.

You may also want to try Simply Beef and Lamb's Teriyaki Beef Noodles or Lamb with Pistacho Crust as mentioned in my YouTube video.

📖 Recipe