Italian Baked Lamb & Potatoes

Simple food is often the best, especially so with this Italian Baked Lamb & Potatoes – light on ingredients, big on flavour. Juicy lamb chops with soft, creamy and cheesy sliced potatoes, this is a one-pot crowd pleaser for sure.

There are some days that simple, easy food is all that's on my mind. This recipe was inspired by one such day. I'd woken up in the blistering heat of a Vegas summer day, but for some reason all I wanted was a hearty, comforting winter dish. Maybe the reason was that we'd just had out air-con fixed and the house was set to 'icy'. Or maybe it was due to a lingering wine-sickness from the previous night.

My day started watching YouTube videos, which invariably turned to watching food videos. One video featured celebrated TV chef, Rick Stein on his travels in Puglia, Italy. He sampled this exact dish in a restaurant there and was blown away by its simplicity and flavour. I trust his palette and just knew I had to cook it myself.

Luckily I had some lamb in the freezer and I always have plenty of Italian cheese so, it was going to be a meal I could get on the table with little to no fuss.

What's Ahead?

This recipe is very very simple to put together. All that's required is a little layering of lamb with salty and umami-rich Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses, tomatoes, garlic and sliced potatoes. When baked, it's a soft, meltingly tender piece of lamb with flavour-packed potatoes. Pure joy! The lady in the video used a earthenware pot to cook hers in. I still can't think at any great length about the earthenware pot I dropped on the kitchen floor a few years ago. I loved that pot (devastated emoji face). I use a deep ceramic soufflé dish for my recipe (smiley emoji face).

It's Rick Stein himself said, it's like Italy's answer to British hot pot. As a fellow Brit, I see a resemblance but have to conclude this is way more tasty than hot pot!

Why it works?

It's easy! - It doesn't get much simpler than this recipe. It's a case of layering up the lamb and potatoes then popping in the oven to let time do its magic. The results are quite fantastic!

Stuff You'll Need

As with many great Italian dishes, the ingredients are sparse, which we love! Here's what you'll need to make this delicious recipe.

• Lamb loin chops - buy thick cut chops if you can get them.
• Potatoes - the soak up all the tasty lamb juices.
• Garlic - adds a little backbone to the dish
• Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes hold their shape better and add a light sweet tanginess to the dish.
• Parmigiano Reggiano & Pecorino - cheesy umami layers of flavour, synonymous with Italian food
  
• Extra virgin olive oil - there's around 1/3 of a cup in there (the original recipe had WAY more, but I paired it back. It's there for flavour and does its job splendidly.
• Salt & pepper

Step by Step

Here's how easy this baked lamb is to make at home. It's all about layering and locking in the flavour and juices.

1. Step 1 - Pour a small amount of oil into the base of a deep ovenproof pot or dish (approximately 9-10 inches in diameter). Layer some potato slices evenly on the bottom, followed by a sprinkling of each cheese, a few tomato pieces, and garlic. Arrange a couple of chops in a single layer.
2. Step 2 - Season lightly with salt and pepper, then add another layer of potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and cheeses. Repeat with another layer of chops, then finish with remaining tomatoes, garlic, cheeses, and seasoning.
3. Step 3 - Top with another layer of potatoes and generously sprinkle with cheeses. Pour around 60ml (1/4 cup) of water over the top.
4. Step 4 - Drizzle with about 80ml (1/3 cup) of olive oil. You can reduce this amount if desired, but traditionally Italian Nonnas use this much!
5. Step 5 - Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
6. Step 6 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Pro Tips

• Tightly packed - Packing everything in tightly will give the best results. You'll create a more intense flavour and a kind of confit/casserole type of juices.
• Additional flavours - at its simplest, this recipe delivers excellent results. I have however experimented with adding other flavours. I will often add a fresh herb like sage, rosemary, thyme or basil. I have also made the dish adding a generous helping of pitted black olives which were excellent. Lastly, add 3-4 anchovies roughly chopped for even more salty umami - anchovies and lamb are a winning combination!

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Serve hot, direct from the cooking dish. Grab some meat and some potatoes and some of the intensely flavoured oil too, it's all flavour. I like to serve plenty of bread to mop up the juices too. To counteract the oil and meat, I like to serve a simple green salad alongside.

• Fridge - Leftovers will be fine for a 3-4 days in the fridge, properly covered.
• Freezer - It's not the best dish to freeze, the potatoes can turn a bit mushy and watery when reheating so, for this reason I don't recommend.

Ready to get cooking?

This dish really is one of my most favourite Italian recipes. I have on one occasion made this in bulk for 20+ people for Easter in a huge baking tray packed tightly with an EXTREME amount of lamb and oil and those people are STILL talking about it. Buon apetito, hope you enjoy the recipe!

More of my favourite Italian recipes

If you're in the mood for Italian food, try another of my splendid recipes.

• Nduja Risotto
• Pulled Lamb with Nduja and Borlotti Beans 
• Bagna Cauda (Anchovy & Garlic Sauce)
• Supplì (Italian Rice Balls)
• Anchovy Sauce
• Fennel Risotto
• Foglie D’Ulivo with Pancetta & Olives
• Malloreddus (Gnocchetti Sardi) with Sausage & Arugula
• Mezzelune Pasta with Cavolo Nero & Ricotta
• Chicken Soup with Fregola
• Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
• How to Make Fresh Egg Pasta
• Vitello Tonnato

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