Greek-style lamb and pasta bake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large flameproof baking dish with a tight-fitting lid on the hob over a high heat. Season the lamb generously with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, add it to the dish, then fry for 5 minutes until browned on all sides (you may need to do this in 2 batches).
2. Stir in the onion, dried herbs, bay leaves and spices. Add the tinned tomatoes and 150ml of the hot stock, then stir well and bring up to a simmer. Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven and roast for 1½ hours until the lamb is tender.
3. Add the orzo pasta, peppers, olives, tomatoes, remaining hot stock and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well, re-cover with the lid, then return to the oven for a further 30 minutes or until the pasta is just tender.
4. In a small bowl, mix all the mint sauce ingredients with a splash of freshly boiled water from the kettle. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Remove the lamb/pasta from the oven, stir well, then crumble over the feta, scatter with the lemon zest and serve with the mint sauce.