Tagliatelle with Fennel and Asparagus

It is nearly asparagus season in the UK (although you can buy imported asparagus all year round). Here’s a recipe I made up tonight… Ingredients 250 g saffron tagliatelle, or plain tagliatelle 10 asparagus spears ¼ fennel bulb, finely sliced 2 tbsp fennel pesto lemon-infused olive oil, or plain olive oil zest of 1 lemon, … Continued

Chicken & Chorizo Pasta

Ingredients 2 skinless chicken breast fillets 100g Spanish chorizo sausage, chopped 150g dried penne or similar dried pasta 1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped small handful parsley, chopped 2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp olive oil Method Chop each pepper into 4—6 sections, discarding the stalks and seeds. Grill the chopped … Continued

Spaghetti Bolognese

Yes, I know Spag Bol isn’t actually Italian, but it is Italian-style. The sauce doesn’t just have to be served with spaghetti – any other pasta will do, as would chips, baguettes, garlic bread or jacket potato. Ingredients 450g tin of chopped tomatos 500g of lean minced beef, frozen 4 rashers of pancetta or smoked … Continued

Penne Gorgonzola

Ingredients 450g tin of chopped tomatoes or pasatta sauce 100g gorgonzola 150g – 200g penne or other pasta Method If using tinned tomatoes, put them in a blender and liquify. Heat over a medium flame. Cook the penne, following the instructions on the packaging. Chop the gorgonzola into 1/2 inch cubes. Drain the pasta. Put … Continued

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Traditionally, Carbonara sauce includes raw egg, but that of course carries with it a risk of salmonela infection. My recipe instead uses white sauce as a substitute. Ingredients 4 rashers of pancetta or smoked bacon 1 medium onion, chopped 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried chopped basil 1 … Continued