Greek Lamb & Yoghurt Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 250 g rigatoni pasta or penne or ziti pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500 g ground lamb, minced lamb (for Australians)
• 1 tablespoon herbs (oregano, sage, thyme, basil, mint, according to taste preferences)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olive, pitted
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 (410 g) cans tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine, such as merlot (optional)
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• rocket or baby spinach leaves, to garnish

Yoghurt topping

• 500 g Greek yogurt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, see alternative in the notes (above)

Directions

1. 1

   Cook pasta in boiling salted water until just tender, and drain.

2. 2

   Heat oil in pan, sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until they have softened; remove from the onion and garlic mixture from the pan.

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   Add herbs, olives, zucchini and tomatoes and bring to the boil; if adding wine, allow the liquid to reduce before adding the wine.

5. 5

   Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.

6. 6

   Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

7. 7

   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.

8. 8

   Pour the topping over the mixture and sprinkle with parmesan.

9. 9

   Cook in a moderate oven (180°C) for about 45 minutes or for a shorter time if you have used several smaller dishes.

10. 10

    Serve with rocket or baby spinach leaves.

11. 11

    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.

12. 12

    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.