pistachio pesto pasta with lamb

Springtime food might be my favorite. I love all the fresh, bright flavors and the gorgeous, vibrant colors. It just makes me happy!

This dish combines all of those things into one crazy good pasta dish. The pesto is lemony and minty and good enough to eat by the spoonful. Don't worry, you'll have some extra leftover to do just that.

Lamb turns this into a hearty spring dinner, but the pasta would also be a lovely vegetarian dish on its own. Either way, y'all are going to love this one!

Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Lamb (adapted from Running to the Kitchen)
serves 4

you'll need:
1 lb. fettuccine
1 lb. ground lamb
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until completely done, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the cooked lamb to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.

While the pasta and lamb are cooking, make the pesto: in a food processor or blender, blend spinach, mint, sprouts, garlic, lemon juice, pistachios, pecorino, salt, and olive oil until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Combine the cooked pasta, lamb, and as much pesto as you like (I used about half). You may want to add a bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Garnish each bowl with more sprouts, pistachios, and pecorino. So good, y'all!

Pin It

slow cooker greek lamb tacos

Oh, Texas. I was so optimistic in my last post about spring weather, and you had me going for a bit there. Saturday, 75 and sunny. Sunday, ice storm. WHAT.

A surprise ice day calls for a warm, hearty meal like this. The slow cooker does all the work here, and gives you the most tender, tasty lamb ever. Pile some warm tortillas with the shredded meat and some bright Greek flavors, and you have heaven in taco form. It's a thing.

Slow Cooker Greek Lamb Tacos (adapted from Foodie with Family)
serves 6

for the lamb, you'll need:
4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil
3 tablespoons dried oregano
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the tacos, you'll need:
flour tortillas
baby spinach
sundried tomatoes, chopped and excess oil blotted
kalamata olives, pitted and halved
tzatziki
crumbled feta

Rub the lamb with olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Place it in your slow cooker. Add the lemon juice and zest and scatter the garlic cloves over the lamb. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. When lamb is done, use two forks to shred the meat.

To assemble tacos, pile warm flour tortillas with baby spinach, lamb, olives, sundried tomatoes, and feta. Top with a dollop of tzatziki and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. YUM YUM.

Pin It

greek lamb naan pizzas

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? I'm heading back to school today after a glorious Christmas break. While I'm not relishing waking up early again, I am always glad to settle back into more of a routine. And since one of my intentions for 2014 is to become more organized, I kinda need to be busier to put myself to the test. :)

Another goal I have for this year is to try to plan our meals for the week. Do you do this? I never have, but rumor has it that it saves time and money, so I thought I'd give it a go. If you're a meal planner, I'd love to hear any tips or tricks you have!!

One of my go-to meals that will definitely show up in our planning is naan pizzas! I love them because they take no time at all to make (it's really more assembling than cooking!), you can top them with whatever you want, and most of all because they're super yummy.

Since Miles and I are crazy about Greek flavors, we absolutely loved these! They were fast, fresh, and flavorful... perfect for a weeknight dinner!

Greek Lamb Naan Pizzas
makes 4 pizzas

you'll need:
4 naan breads
olive oil
1/2 cups tomato puree (like Pomi)
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If using a pizza stone, place it inside the oven to preheat.

While the oven is preheating, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook lamb until completely done, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Lightly brush naan with olive oil. Once the oven is preheated, place the breads on the pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread about 2 tablespoons tomato puree over each pizza. Divide the lamb, mozzarella, onion, olives, and sundried tomatoes evenly over each pizza. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Remove pizzas from the oven and top with cucumbers and feta. Enjoy!

Pin It