Baked lamb with tomatoes, garlic & pasta

Arnaki yiouvetsi is one of the most popular dishes in Greece and is often made for the celebratory family lunch on 15 August, after the long fasting period. This date is important in the Greek Orthodox calendar, as it marks the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is particularly poignant for people who are called Maria, Despoina, Panayiota or Panayiotis – all popular names with Greeks – since they celebrate their name day (the equivalent of birthdays) on this occasion. As