Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

Sophisticated, restaurant-quality recipe: Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb served with roasted carrots and asparagus.

I had a single old rack of lamb (only 8 skinny ribs in total) laying in my freezer for over a year. Each time I wanted to cook it, my husband would object: “let’s save it for the special occasion, when we have guests”. Whenever we had guests, I would look at that lonely rack of lamb in the freezer and would think, hmm, that doesn’t look like enough food for 6 people, unless we want to serve an average of one rib per person, which would make us look like one of those fine dining restaurants that serve a tiny portion of meat on a huge plate. So, I would close the freezer and skip the lamb. For some reason, this type of reasoning has continued for about a year.

Finally, on one sunny day when we were not expecting any guests, I was scanning the freezer for the meat to use and when I saw that over-year-old-lonely-single rack of lamb, I for some reason decided to grab it, defrost it and cook it that very night.

To my luck, the rack of lamb did not suffer any freezer burn and the end result was more than satisfying: this Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb that you see on the photos!

This is a simple recipe that does not require a lot of work, except to make sure that you don’t overcook the lamb. The lamb itself is so flavorful – that’s what makes the dish. I just added a couple of accents, such as pistachio crust and 3 simple side dishes (mashed potatoes, carrots, and asparagus).

How to make pistachio crust for rack of lamb:

Place pistachios, bread crumbs, salt and pepper into the food processor and process until really crumbly. Drizzle 1 table spoon of olive oil all over the bread and pistachio mixture and mix until well combined.  Set aside, and use it as described below.

How to roast rack of lamb:

For complete recipe scroll down to the recipe box, but below are some helpful step-by-step photos describing how to cook rack of lamb at home.

1) Preheat oven to 400 F.

2) Season lamb with salt and pepper.

3) Warm a large skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot , add olive oil enough to film the bottom of the pan (1 tbsp of oil, maybe a little bit more)

4) Add lamb to the skillet, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side to brown.

5) Transfer lamb to a medium size roasting pan, with the fatty side up like shown on this picture below. Spread mustard over the top portion of the rack (the fatty side). Then pat pistachio and bread crumb mixture over mustard coating on lamb. Press to make sure it adheres.

6) Roast lamb for about 20-25 minutes, medium-rare. If using thermometer, it should register 130 F. Transfer to a cutting board or a plate.

7) Cut the lamb into chops, 2 ribs each.

What to serve with rack of lamb:

Roasted Carrots:

1) Slice each carrot into 4 pieces, lengthwise, so that you have thin long pieces of carrots.

2) Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the carrots, they should sizzle. Stir to coat with oil. Add a pinch of salt. Add a little bit of parsley and oregano.

3) Cook on high heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are nicely browned and get the “roasted” look – for 10-15 minutes. After that, remove from heat, cover with lid and let carrots stay covered for at least 10 minutes

Asparagus:

1) Bring medium size pan with water to boil. Add asparagus and cook for about 10 minutes until asparagus is somewhat soft but still crunchy.

2) Drain asparagus, pat dry. Add to the skillet with carrots. Stir to coat with oil. Add salt if necessary.

I also suggest that you served mashed potatoes with your rack of lamb, along with the roasted carrots and asparagus.

Print

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Restaurant quality, sophisticated Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb recipe.  Not difficult at all.  What to serve with rack of lamb?  Side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, delicious roasted carrots, and asparagus.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 624 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb rack of lamb (1 rack of lamb or 8 ribs)
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup pistachios without shells
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 carrots
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley
• 8 oz asparagus
• 1/8 teaspoon salt to taste

Instructions

How to roast rack of lamb

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Place pistachios, bread crumbs, salt and pepper into the food processor and process until really crumbly. Drizzle 1 table spoon of olive oil all over the bread and pistachio mixture and mix until well combined.

3. Season lamb with salt and pepper.

4. Warm a large skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot , add olive oil enough to film the bottom of the pan (1 tbsp of oil, maybe a little bit more).

5. Add lamb to the skillet, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side to brown.

6. Transfer lamb to a medium size roasting pan, with the fatty side up like shown on this picture below. Spread mustard over the top portion of the rack (the fatty side). Then pat pistachio and bread crumb mixture over mustard coating on lamb. Press to make sure it adheres.

7. Roast lamb for about 20-25 minutes, medium-rare. If using thermometer, it should register 130 F. Transfer to a cutting board or a plate.  

8. While you roast the lamb in the oven, prepare the roasted carrots and asparagus as described below.

9. Once, the rack of lamb is cooked, cut the lamb into chops, 2 ribs each.

Roasted carrots

1. Slice each carrot into 4 pieces, lengthwise, so that you have thin long pieces of carrots.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the carrots, they should sizzle. Stir to coat with oil. Add a pinch of salt. Add a little bit of parsley and oregano.

3. Cook on high heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are nicely browned and get the “roasted” look – for 10-15 minutes. After that, remove from heat, cover with lid and let carrots stay covered for at least 10 minutes

Asparagus

1. Bring medium size pan with water to boil. Add asparagus and cook for about 10 minutes until asparagus is somewhat soft but still crunchy.

2. Drain asparagus, pat dry. Add to the skillet with carrots. Stir to coat with oil. Add salt if necessary.

3. Serve each individual portion of rack of lamb with roasted carrots and asparagus at the base.

Nutrition Facts

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

Amount Per Serving

Calories 624 Calories from Fat 477

% Daily Value*

Fat 53g82%

Saturated Fat 20g125%

Cholesterol 94mg31%

Sodium 442mg19%

Potassium 588mg17%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 8105IU162%

Vitamin C 6.3mg8%

Calcium 68mg7%

Iron 3.7mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.