Arrosto di
Agnello
Italian roast lamb; a slow-cooked home version
Lamb roasts slowly with rosemary, garlic and white wine, served with potatoes and a spoonful of reduced pan juices.
Slow-roasted lamb, potatoes & herbsLamb, herbs,
time in the oven.
Arrosto di agnello means roast lamb, a broad Italian preparation that changes with the cut and the kitchen. Rosemary, garlic and wine are familiar partners, but a plate of quickly cooked chops has a different texture from a long, covered roast.
This home recipe uses shoulder and rib pieces, marinated overnight with herbs and lemon zest, then roasted with potatoes until tender. Pancetta and onions flavor the pan juices.
Explore by food: Meat
Let’s make arrosto di agnello.
Shoulder and rib pieces need a covered roast and an overnight marinade.
Six generous portions of lamb and potatoes; uses two flameproof roasting pans.
What you’ll need
Lamb and marinade
- 1.2 kgboneless lamb shoulder, cut into 7–8 cm pieces
- 600 glamb ribs, cut into 2-rib portions
- 4 clovesgarlic, 2 crushed and 2 finely chopped
- 8 grosemary leaves, 6 g for marinade and 2 g chopped for serving
- 4 gthyme leaves, 3 g for marinade and 1 g for serving
- 2bay leaves
- 1lemon, finely grated zest only
- 60 mlolive oil, divided
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 1 tsp, plus to tastefine salt
Roasting
- 200 gonion, thinly sliced
- 80 gpancetta, diced
- 250 mldry white wine
- 900 gwaxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 400 mlwater, divided
The 730-minute marinate/rest total is 12 hours in the refrigerator plus the 10-minute final rest. Cooking allows for batch browning, a three-hour covered roast and separate crisping/reduction. Tougher pieces may need longer; the endpoint is fork-tender meat.
How to make it
- 01
Marinate overnight
Toss the lamb with 40 ml oil, the crushed garlic, 6 g rosemary, 3 g thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Keep chilled until the pans are ready.
- 02
Brown in batches
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lift out and pat the lamb dry; discard the marinade, herbs and crushed garlic. Season with the measured 1 tsp salt. Divide the remaining 20 ml oil between two flameproof roasting pans. Brown the lamb over medium-high heat in three uncrowded batches, about 8 minutes each, then lift onto a plate.
- 03
Build the roasting base
Divide onion and pancetta between the pans. Cook over medium heat for about 9 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens. Add the finely chopped garlic and stir for 1 minute. Divide the wine between the pans and simmer for 3 minutes, scraping the bases. Return the lamb and divide 250 ml water between the pans.
- 04
Roast, then add potatoes
Cover the pans tightly with foil and roast for 90 minutes. Open carefully, add the potatoes and turn them in the juices. Cover again and roast for another 60–90 minutes until lamb is fork-tender and potatoes are cooked through. If a pan dries, add some of the remaining 150 ml water.
- 05
Color the surfaces
Switch the broiler to high. Move lamb and potatoes to separate baking trays, reserving all pan juices. Broil lamb for 3–4 minutes, then potatoes for 6–8 minutes until browned, watching closely. Set the trays aside.
- 06
Reduce and rest
Skim excess fat from the pan juices, strain into a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes until lightly reduced. Taste for salt. Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes, then serve with potatoes, sauce and the reserved 2 g rosemary and 1 g thyme.
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