Herbed lamb backstraps with roast vegetable couscous

Serves Icon
Serves4
Time 30 Minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 lamb backstraps (approximately 200g each)
  • 250g jab or butternut pumpkin (squash), peeled, seeded, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 4 tablespoons (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve couscous
  • 2 garlic cloves, halved horizontally
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
  • 200g couscous
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped mint
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

How to Make It
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional oven)/ 180°C fan-forced (400° Fahrenheit/Gas 6). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2

Place the pumpkin (squash), sweet potato and zucchini in a baking dish and drizzle over half of the olive oil. Add the garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste, then toss with your hands to coat evenly. Cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and golden. Set aside to cool slightly before adding to the couscous. Discard the rosemary and garlic.

Step 3

Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue grill or large frying pan on medium-high heat. Brush the lamb backstraps with the remaining olive oil and turn to coat. Cook the lamb for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the meat to a plate and cover loosely with aluminium foil.

Step 4

To make the roast vegetable couscous, bring the vegetable stock to the boil and stir into the couscous. Cover for 5 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Using a fork, fluff the couscous. Season to taste, then add an extra tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add half of the parsley and mint to the couscous. Stir in the roasted vegetables to combine.

Step 5

Place the remaining parsley and mint on a plate. Roll the rested lamb into the herb mixture to coat. Thickly slice the lamb and drizzle extra olive oil on top. Serve with roast vegetable couscous and lemon wedges – buon appetito.

3 lamb backstraps (approximately 200g each)|250g jab or butternut pumpkin (squash), peeled, seeded, cut into 2cm cubes|1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes|1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes|4 tablespoons (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve couscous|2 garlic cloves, halved horizontally|2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped|200g couscous|250ml vegetable stock|4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley|4 tablespoons finely chopped mint|4 lemon wedges|Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Vanessa Bottaro

Author, Founder and Creative Director at Italian Spoon
In my eyes, Italian cuisine is love on a plate.

Vanessa is Creative Director of the Italian Spoon website and Author of The Italian entertaining cookbook, a collection of home-style Italian recipes and tips for entertaining in true Italian-style. In addition to cooking and taking photographs, Vanessa writes the recipes and blogs to bring the love of Italian cooking to life! The collection of recipes and blogs on the website have been inspired by travels to Italy and desire to share what she has learnt from the great ‘Mamma’s and ‘Nonna’s in her life!

Vanessa is an entrepreneur and wife to husband Simone and the mother of two beautiful kids Dante and Mia. Even so she was born and lives in Melbourne Australia, Vanessa has a deep connection to Italy. Perhaps it is the food, or maybe it is because it is the place where Vanessa met the love of her life, Simone to whom she has been happily married for so many years.
Vanessa Bottaro

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