A classic herbed crust on delicate lamb really compliments the meat. Add some chopped marinated anchovies for a salty kick, if you like. The asparagus pesto is also a delight served with fish, or simply stirred into a bowl of steaming pasta.
This lamb rack is cooked with a herby crust and then served with a delicious asparagus pesto. A perfect recipe to enjoy this Easter as an alternative to lamb with gravy.
For more Easter inspiration, we have plenty of recipes to try. If you fancy baking this Easter time, then check out our cakes and sweet treats, or if you need Easter breakfast ideas, then we have you covered.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Cal/Serv:
590
Ingredients
For the lamb
50g
unsalted butter, softened
25g
parsley finely chopped
25g
mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
15g
chives, finely chopped
50g
fresh breadcrumbs
2tsp.
English mustard
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
1
medium egg
3
French-trimmed lamb racks, see GH TIP
For the asparagus pesto
300g
asparagus
1
garlic clove, crushed
Large handful parsley, roughly chopped
50g
pine nuts
40g
Parmesan, grated
Finely grated zest 1/2 lemon, juice 1/2-1 lemon, to taste
50ml
olive oil
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. For the lamb, in a large bowl, mix the butter, herbs, breadcrumbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, egg and plenty of seasoning.
Step 2Arrange the lamb racks on a baking tray and press the herb mixture on top of the meat, avoiding the bones, to form a crust.
Step 3Roast the lamb for 15-18min for pink meat, or 20min for medium. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10min.
Step 4While the lamb is cooking, make the asparagus pesto. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Trim and discard the very ends of the asparagus. Roughly chop the spears and cook in the boiling water for 5min, or until tender but not mushy. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, then run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Step 5Put the asparagus into a blender with the garlic, parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon zest, a splash of the reserved cooking water and some seasoning. Whizz until fairly smooth (you’ll need to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally). With the motor running, drizzle in the oil, followed by the lemon juice, to taste. Check seasoning.
Step 6To serve, slice the lamb rack between the bones to make cutlets and serve with the asparagus pesto.
GET AHEAD:
Prepare to end of step 2 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. Make asparagus pesto up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, allow lamb and asparagus pesto to come up to room temperature before completing recipe.
GH TIP:
French-trimming a rack means the top layer of fat and any sinew has been removed from the meat and the bones have been scraped clean. Ask your butcher to do this, if you like.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
