Easy Lamb & Goat Cheese Pasta Bake With Free Printable

"Processed pasta as we know it today was not historically a staple food in the Levant. In recent decades, however, the varieties and availability of packaged pasta - often imported from Italy - have grown. But when my grandmother was a young woman, they only had access to spaghetti-like varieties. So on occasion, she would mix it with meat and tomatoes and, if feeling decadent, top it with some white cheese and bake it. This recipe is adapted from hers and one that I find deeply symbolic of how our foods travel across geography and time, finding unique homes and methods of preparation wherever they end up in the world."

- Reem Kassis

Welcome to the kitchen! This homemade lamb and goat cheese pasta bake is the perfect example of powerful pairings. If the organic einkorn & einkorn whole wheat pasta combo isn't enough to attract young chefs, the creamy goat cheese & mozzarella combo on top will seal the deal.

And don't sleep on the sauce. Lamb, beef, or meat-free, this sauce is packed with flavor.

This experience reminds me of my childhood and the many nights I spent around a table with my family eating baked ziti with mozzarella and ricotta. If we were feeling decadent, there'd be homemade garlic bread.

Grab a free kid-friendly recipe for kids at the bottom and enjoy a delicious meal. It's not the quickest, but it's easy and everyone can participate.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this lamb and goat cheese pasta bake recipe, you should try braided turmeric & nigella seed bread, Sunday gravy, pasta assassina, pasta and garbanzo beans, chicken parmesan with bucatini, and Argentine pizza.

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This lamb and goat cheese pasta bake recipe comes from The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World by Reem Kassis, titled Lamb and Halloumi Pasta Bake. We weren't able to find Halloumi cheese for this recipe and found goat cheese to be an excellent substitute.

This cookbook is an excellent resource to accompany any studies on the Middle East, whether the interest lies in food, history, or culture. As Reem shares:

"It is a journey from the earliest Arabic cookbooks on record to the dishes being cooked by cutting-edge Arab chefs and home cooks across the region and abroad."

- Reem Kassis

Learn more about Reem Kassis.

Stop by our shop to see more Family & Kids' Cooking Resources.

Learn more about allergies and your family.

What is the Origin of Pasta?

As Reem points out in The Arabesque Table:

Legends abound as to the origins of pasta and the direction of its spread across the world, but academic research often points to the Fertile Crescent as its origin. Evidence includes the cultivation of durum wheat, a grain native to that region; the Arabic and Turkic names of related food items even in countries like China; and the first-ever mention of pasta in the tenth-century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh.

- Reem Kassis

What is the Levant?

The Levant refers to present-day Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Best Pasta for Lamb & Goat Cheese Pasta Bake

Reem Kassis recommends using penne, fusilli, bucatini, ziti, or any pasta you normally choose to bake with for making the best goat cheese or halloumi pasta bake. We like cooking and baking with Jovial einkorn pasta and einkorn whole wheat pasta.

Jovial offers a variety of organic einkorn, gluten-free, and grain-free pastas and flour:

Einkorn is the original wheat, genetically pure and just as nature intended. It is quickly becoming the wheat of choice among the gluten sensitive due to its very weak gluten. Made with high extraction einkorn flour, which is 80% of the whole grain with most of the bran and germ removed, this pasta is like traditional semolina pasta, but incredibly wholesome, satisfying, and full of flavor. Jovial Traditional Einkorn Penne Pasta won’t weigh down your digestion, but it will deliver more protein and less starch than modern wheat pasta making it a nutritional powerhouse.

- Jovial

How to Make Lamb & Goat Cheese Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• lean cut of lamb or beef - we used ground lamb as a shortcut for a quick weeknight meal, but feel free to grab a nice cut of lamb or beef for this recipe
• oil - olive oil is recommended for this goat cheese pasta bake
• onion - this recipe calls for 1 large onion, chef's choice
• green chili
• salt - we get a lot of spices from Diaspora Co. and the Surya Salt is a big hit with the kids. It looks like snowflakes in an attractive tin and it's fun to play with as well as eat
• garlic
• tomatoes - this recipe calls for 2 cans of crushed tomatoes for the best results
• za'atar or oregano leaves - we've been loving Racho Gordo's Oregano Indio but you can use what you have on hand
• pasta - a mix of organic einkorn and einkorn whole wheat penne is a fun way to introduce kids to different types of pasta
• goat cheese or halloumi cheese - if you can't find halloumi, you can use goat cheese or any cheese you prefer with your pasta
• mozzarella cheese - if you're looking to save time, you can use shredded cheese. Our kids also love to work with the box grater

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Butcher Block or Cutting Board
• Box Grater
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cup
• Wooden Spoon
• Stock Pot with Pasta Insert
• Pan
• Rectangular Baking Dish
• Aluminum Foil

1. Chop the Onion, Chili, and Garlic

Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a knife and cutting board to chop the onion. Chop the green chili, removing the seeds. Mince the garlic.

2. Grate the Cheese

Use a box grater to grate the cheese needed for this lamb and goat cheese pasta bake.

If you're working with halloumi cheese, you'll want to grate that as well. If you're working with cheese that's already grated, you can skip this step.

3. Cut the Meat

Use a knife and cutting board to cut the meat into bite-size pieces.

If you're using ground lamb or beef, you can skip this step as well. Wash your hands and any utensils after working with raw meat.

4. Heat the Oil in a Pan

Turn the stove to medium heat. Use a measuring spoon to add the olive oil to the pan.

5. Add the Onion, Chili, and Some Salt

Once the oil is hot, add the onion, chili, ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir the ingredients periodically while it cooks. After about 5 or 6 minutes, everything should be soft and starting to brown.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.

6. Add the Meat and Some More Salt

Turn the stove up to high heat. Add the meat and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the meat starts to brown.

Wash your hands and any utensils after handling raw meat.

7. Add the Tomatoes and Remaining Salt

Add the tomatoes and the remaining salt to the pan. Once the sauce starts to boil, turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Reem advises checking on the sauce periodically while it simmers. If it becomes too thick, you can add a couple splashes of water. The sauce should be slightly runny as it will be absorbed by the pasta while it bakes.

Remove the pan from heat and add the za'atar or oregano. Set it aside.

8. Heat a Pot of Salted Water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the sauce is simmering, get started on the pasta. Add salt and water to a pot. Turn the stove to high heat.

9. Add the Pasta

Once the water boils, add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, which is typically 2 minutes less than the time on the box.

If you're using 2 different types of pasta, as we did here, you can meet somewhere in the middle.

10. Drain the Pasta and Transfer to the Baking Dish

Turn off the stove. Drain the pasta. If you're using a stock pot with a pasta insert, you can simply lift the pasta insert out of the pot to transfer. You may want to assist or model this process.

Use a measuring spoon to add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pasta to prevent it from sticking together.

11. Pour the Sauce on Top of the Pasta

Transfer the sauce to the baking dish. You can pick it up and pour it or use a ladle to practice transferring. The sauce should be evenly distributed over the pasta.

12. Top With the Cheeses

Place the cheeses evenly over the pasta and meat sauce. This is an excellent opportunity to compare the taste and texture of your chosen cheeses. Is it soft or creamy? How does it feel?

13. Cover and Bake for 30-40 Minutes

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Afterward, uncover the dish and turn the oven to broil. Let it broil for 5-6 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and crisp.

Turn off the oven and remove the lamb and goat cheese pasta bake. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then dig in.

Free Lamb & Goat Cheese Pasta Bake Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up

Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.