Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary

A good roast leg of lamb recipe should be simple and impressive—something you can serve to guests on Easter or Passover that’s equally easy for a special Sunday dinner. This version, flavored modestly with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and finished with an easy red wine pan sauce, is just that. (It also has hundreds of reviews from cooks who say it works well, even if you’re new to cooking lamb.) You don’t have to sear it or worry over a fussy marinade—and the hands-on time is just about 15 minutes.

The recipe calls for a semi-boneless leg, which means the shank and blade bones have been removed, but the leg bone, which adds rich flavor, is still in the roast. This helps hold the roast together while making the meat easier to carve than a fully bone-in leg of lamb. It also cuts down on cooking time. The cut has a relatively uniform shape, so it’s easy to roast to your desired doneness; if you insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part, the rest of the leg will be fairly close to that same temperature. To serve, transfer the lamb to a platter and tuck some fresh, fragrant oregano or rosemary sprigs around the roast for a pretty but easy presentation, and pour a sauce made from the drippings into a small bowl for guests to spoon over individual slices.

If a bone-in whole leg of lamb is more than you’re prepared to deal with, consider a butterflied boneless roast, succulent rack of lamb with an herb crust, or grilled lamb chops with polenta.