Casarecce with Tomatoes, Chilli and Feta

When Pasta Garofalo asked me to create a recipe with their Casrecce, I wanted to create something with a lighter sauce to match with this pasta shape. So this recipe combines the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, the salty tanginess of the feta, and a little heat from the chilli flakes, for a simple yet flavoursome dish.

This recipe for Casrecce is simple to make with basic ingredients. Garofalo’s Casarecce is available as; quality durum wheat pasta, gluten free, whole wheat and also organic - you can shop the full range on their Amazon store and it’s also available on Ocado.

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Casarecce with Tomatoes, Chilli and Feta

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 10 MinCooking time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

The combination of cherry tomatoes with the feta makes this a perfect pasta dish for a lighter lunch or dinner. It's quick and easy to make with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 1tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
• 2tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Small bunch of fresh basil
• 180g Garofalo Casarecce
• 100g feta, diced

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees (fan).
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to a baking dish.
3. Remove the skin from 2 garlic cloves, gently crush with the back of a knife and add whole to the tomatoes.
4. Season with salt and add the chilli flakes, oregano and olive oil and place on the middle shelf in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy.
5. While the tomatoes are cooking, bring large pan of water to the boil and season with salt.
6. Add 180g of Garofalo Casarecce Pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
7. Once cooked, save yourself a little pasta water before draining using a mug or measuring jug - about 50ml.
8. Drain the pasta and add to the oven dish with the tomatoes. Stir to combine, and if needed add 1 tbsp of the reserved pasta water.
9. Tear in some of the fresh basil and leave some to garnish when served.
10. Crumble 2/3rds of diced feta into the dish.
11. Serve, finish with more torn basil and a final crumble of feta.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

299.68

Fat (grams)

25.06 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.62 g

Carbs (grams)

11.53 g

Fibre (grams)

1.82 g

Net carbs

9.7 g

Sugar (grams)

5.06 g

Protein (grams)

9.39 g

Sodium (milligrams)

597.18 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

44.5 mg

Values per whole meal

'Nduja and Cherry Tomato Rigatoni

Adding ‘nduja is an easy way to pack in plenty of flavour without having to do much else. ‘Nduja can be such a versatile ingredient, it can be spread on warm toasted bread, added to pizza, or it melts perfectly into tomato sauces like this one!

‘Nduja is made with pork, chillies and paprika and originates from Calabria in the south Italy . It’s fiery taste means it adds a good hit of spice and heat and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes in this dish really complement the flavour. Plus the nduja helps the sauce cling to the gorgeous Garofalo Rigatoni pasta.

I’ve used tinned cherry tomatoes in this as I love the tomato juice they come in but you could always make with fresh cherry tomatoes too. This is a great quick, pasta dinner that doesn’t need much thought and is no faff!

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'Nduja and Cherry Tomato Rigatoni

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Combine fiery 'nduja with sweet cherry tomatoes for a deliciously easy dinner

Ingredients

• 180g Garofalo Rigatoni
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 x pork sausages, skinned
• 75g 'nduja
• 400g tinned cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsps Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Parmesan for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Add 2tbsps of olive oil to a flat based pan, add your finely chopped red onion to the pan and season with a little salt. Allow to cook gently on a low heat for 5 minutes.
2. As the onion continues to cook add the meat from two skinned pork sausages. Break up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, season with a few grinds of black pepper.
3. Allow the onion to continue cooking with the sausage for another 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile bring a pan of water to the boil and salt, add your Garofalo Rigatoni pasta and allow to cook for ten minutes.
5. Add your 75g of nduja to the pan with the onion and sausage and allow to start to melt away into the pan.
6. Next add the 400g of tinned cherry tomatoes and stir the sauce together. Allow to simmer gently while the pasta continues to cook.
7. Once the pasta is ready, drain and add the rigatoni to your sauce, including a splash of pasta water. Toss together so the rigatoni is coated in the deliciously juicy tomato sauce.
8. Serve and add a good grating of parmesan and extra drizzle of olive oil

Nutrition Facts

Calories

906.98

Fat (grams)

49.47

Sat. Fat (grams)

14.62

Carbs (grams)

78.28

Fibre (grams)

4.75

Net carbs

73.53

Sugar (grams)

8.66

Protein (grams)

36.35

Sodium (milligrams)

1084.66

Cholesterol (grams)

91.56

Values per whole meal

This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Artichoke, Pea And Speck Lumaca Rigata

This pasta dish combines the fresh tasting flavours of lemon alongside artichoke and peas with the gently spiced, saltiness of speck.

Ready in just over 10 minutes this recipe is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, particularly in spring or summer.

It uses the pasta shape Lumaca Rigata, known for its distinct shape of looking like a snail shell, which comes from the Italian lumaca for snail! Its distinct ridges are bronze drawn in Gragnano, home of Garofalo Pasta. It’ perfect for soaking up the flavour of the dressing and creating a tasty dish that can be served as a main or even serve it up as a side dish for BBQs and buffets.

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Artichoke, Pea and Speck Lumaca Rigata

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Lumaca Rigata from Garofalo is the perfect shape for this pasta dish that pairs artichoke and peas with crispy speck

Ingredients

• 180g of Garofalo Lumaca Rigata
• 75g fresh or frozen peas
• 80g speck or prosciutto
• 1 tin of artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 tbsp garlic olive oil
• 1tsp oregano
• 40ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5ml white wine vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon and zest
• Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, salt the water once boiling
2. Add your Garofalo Lumaca Rigata to the salted, boiling water. After 8 minutes of the pasta boiling, add the peas to the pasta and boil for a further 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare the lemon dressing - mix the extra Virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice in a small measuring jug or bowl, and season with black pepper
4. Then using a flat based pan or frying pan, add 1tbsp of garlic flavoured olive oil (or extra virgin olive oil with a crushed garlic clove to flavour, just remember to remove before serving) on a low heat. Add the quartered artichokes with 1tsp of dried oregano, stir to coat in the oil and oregano
5. Tear in the speck to the pan and increase the heat a little and allow the speck to crisp up.
6. Then drain your pasta when cooked, and stir into the artichokes and speck. Drizzle the lemon dressing over and toss together to coat the pasta. Add the zest of half a lemon.
7. Serve and season with black pepper. This dish can be served hot or cold, as a meal on its own or as an accompaniment for grilled chicken or fish - especially from the BBQ!
8. Add some fresh Parmesan to serve if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

695.48

Fat (grams)

36.57

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.23

Carbs (grams)

46.93

Fibre (grams)

5.75

Net carbs

7.67

Sugar (grams)

3.45

Protein (grams)

15.12

Sodium (milligrams)

710.62

Cholesterol (grams)

26.4

Values per whole meal

This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta Shell

This pasta shape from Garofalo is perfect for stuffing; the shape is Conchiglioni, which is a giant pasta shell. In this recipe we’re stuffing it with a classic spinach and ricotta filling but they also work beautifully with my Easy Baked Conchiglioni with Bolognese.

This recipe serves two but you can easily double up the quantities if you’re feeding friends or family. If you wanted to get ready ahead of time you could prep ahead and then bake in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

Combining a classic filling of spinach and ricotta with a simple tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella on top - it’s such a great vegetarian pasta dinner.

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Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta Shells

Servings: 2-3

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 20 MinCooking time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min

These giant stuffed pasta shells make a surprisingly easy vegetarian dinner, and are perfect served with a side salad of Italian salad leaves and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

• 200g Garofalo Conchiglioni pasta shells
• 250g ricotta
• 150 - 200g spinach (fresh or frozen, but will need defrosting before)
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 40g parmesan
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Fresh Nutmeg
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Start by bringing a pan of water to the boil, salt, and begin to cook your pasta.
3. Meanwhile prep your filling while the pasta is cooking.
4. For the spinach, if you're using fresh wilt it first by pouring some boiling water over the top and letting it cool until you can handle it. If frozen, defrost it first.
5. Then squeeze out any excess water using your hands initially and then wrap in some kitchen roll or clean cloth the squeeze out any remaining water. Roughly chop the spinach.
6. Add the ricotta and half (20g) of the grated parmesan to a bowl. Grate some whole nutmeg (about a quarter) into the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Mix together, and with a clean spoon have a taste to check your seasoning.
7. Once your pasta is ready, drain the pasta and leave it to cool in a colander or spread out on a plate.
8. While the pasta is cooling you can make your tomato sauce. In a pan, add 2tbsps of olive oil and add your onion on a low heat. If you want a little heat add 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes now. After 5 minutes or so, once the onion starts to soften add the crushed garlic to the pan.
9. Next add your tomatoes and allow to gently simmer. Tear in some fresh basil and season with a little black pepper. Let the sauce reduce a little, simmering for about 10 minutes.
10. Spread half of the sauce on the base of an oven dish (approx 16 x 26cm).
11. Once your pasta has cooled, gently take a shape and fill with a small teaspoon of mixture and nestle the shell neatly in the dish, continue this putting the shells side by side, nestle in any extra ones at the end.
12. Once you have filled them all, gently spoon over the rest of the sauce filling any gaps around the shells and forming a little layer on top.
13. Then roughly slice the mozzarella and tear each slice evenly covering the top of the pasta. Add the remaining parmesan on top and season with black pepper.
14. Place the dish in the oven, on the top shelf and bake for ten minutes or until golden brown on top.
15. Finish with a few fresh basil leaves and serve with a side salad of italian leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1155.45

Fat (grams)

56.38

Sat. Fat (grams)

30.16

Carbs (grams)

99.08

Fibre (grams)

8.83

Net carbs

90.23

Sugar (grams)

12.64

Protein (grams)

64.45

Sodium (milligrams)

1322.97

Cholesterol (grams)

166.62

Values per whole meal

This recipe is from my Cook Along series and is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Sun-Dried Tomato and Black Olive Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti isn’t necessarily an obvious Italian dish, you’re more likely to see a spaghetti frittata which is made using leftover spaghetti, cheese and eggs. I wanted to experiment as it’s not a shape you’d usually turn to for a pasta bake but this combination of sun-dried tomatoes and black olives makes a tasty choice when baked with mozzarella on top.

For this dish I’m using Garofalo’s Spaghettone Gragnanese, which is thicker than your traditional spaghetti, I think it holds the sauce well and makes it perfect for baking in this dish.

To add an extra umami punch of flavour I recommend using the anchovy in this recipe, even if you think you’re not a fan(!), or if you’re vegetarian you can leave it out.

I use creme fraiche in the sauce as I find this combines well (I use reduced fat as my preference) but you could always substitute for cream or a soft cheese like Philadelphia.

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Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Baked Spaghetti

Servings: 2-3

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 10 MinCooking time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This easy baked spaghetti is a great tasty combination of sun-dried tomatoes and black olives topped with gooey mozzarella

Ingredients

• 200g Garofalo Spaghettone Gragnanese
• Olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic, clove finely sliced
• 1 anchovy
• 50g pitted black olives
• 50-60g sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsps creme fraiche
• 50g grated mozzarella
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• Fresh basil
• Freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan).
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, salt the water and add the Spaghettone
3. While the pasta begins cooking, prep your other ingredients.
4. In a small blender add your sun dried tomatoes and give them a quick blitz. Then add 2tbsps of creme fraiche and 1tsp of tomato puree and blitz again for 10 - 15 seconds.
5. Once the pasta has been cooking for 10 minutes, add a good plug (at least 1tbsp of olive oil) to the pan and on a low heat add your shallot and anchovy, allow to cook slowly until the shallot starts to soften.
6. Next add the garlic, a pinch of chilli flakes and the olives. Then add the sun-dried tomato sauce to the pan and a splash of pasta water to loosen it. Tear in some fresh basil leaves and season with black pepper.
7. The pasta should be ready now so ideally using a spaghetti spoon or tongs transfer the spaghettone to the pan so it carries some pasta water with it. Combine together and if needed add another splash (about 25ml) of pasta water to the pan and combine.
8. In an oven dish spoon in half the mixture to cover the base, then scatter with half the grated mozzarella. Add the other half of spaghettone and top with the rest of the mozzarella. Finish by grating a layer of fresh parmesan on top.
9. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until browned on top. Leave to rest for a couple fo minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

341.62

Fat (grams)

23.55

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.55

Carbs (grams)

20.71

Fibre (grams)

4.69

Net carbs

16.02

Sugar (grams)

12.38

Protein (grams)

16.25

Sodium (milligrams)

825.6

Cholesterol (grams)

38.23

Values per whole meal

https://www.cookingandcarafes.co.uk/recipes/baked-spaghetti-sun-dried-tomato-and-olive

baked spaghetti, sun dried tomatoes, spaghetti bake

Spaghetti, Pasta, Pasta Bake

Italian

This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Spaghetti Bolognese

There are hundreds of variations of Spaghetti Bolognese recipes, but this is mine. This Bolognese can be cooked in an hour, if you have more time of course leave it simmering low and slow for several hours and just add more tomatoes or stock but I know we don’t always have three hours to cook up the perfect ragu.

I’ve added mushrooms as an optional ingredient, they’re not traditional perhaps but then nor is spaghetti! Ragus are often served with Tagliatelle or Fettucine but we mostly know this classic with spaghetti. I’m sure many of you have family recipes and happy memories of this being cooked at home, it’s a week night staple and is perfect for batch cooking or leftovers (check out my other recipe ideas for leftover bolognese).

You can also add pancetta at the start of the ragu if you want to add an extra layer of flavour.

I shared this recipe in my Cook Along with Garofalo, where we used their spaghetti and tinned tomatoes for the recipe.

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Spaghetti Bolognese

Servings: 4

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 10 MinCooking time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

• 400g Garofalo Spaghetti (75 - 100g per person)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, sliced or pressed
• 500g of minced beef / mince alternative
• 600g of plum/chopped tomatoes plus additional tin or stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Handful of mushrooms (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• Mixed Italian Herbs / Oregano
• Red wine
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan (if you have a rind of used parmesan keep it as we’ll use this too!)
• Fresh basil 10 leaves

Instructions

1. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to your pan on a low heat. Add your onion, celery and carrot to the pan and season with a little salt and add 1tsp of your dried herbs.
2. Cover loosely with a lid to allow the soffritto (the mix of onion, celery and carrot) to cook, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn or stick to the pan. Cook for about ten minutes until soft.
3. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute before adding the mince. If you’re adding mushrooms add these too.
4. Increase to a medium heat and stir in 1 tbsp of tomato puree.
5. Add a glass of wine and allow to simmer with the mince.
6. Add 400g of tinned tomatoes, bay leaf and season with pepper. Initially and allow to gently simmer with the lid off.
7. After about 15 minutes you can top up with the remaining 200g of tomatoes or add 100ml of beef stock.
8. Continue to let the ragù simmer for another 30 minutes. If it looks a little dry at any point add more tomatoes or stock.
9. If you have a leftover parmesan rind I recommend adding this now. It will help the sauce become a nice rich, thick consistency.
10. Prepare a saucepan of boiling water, salt it once boiling and when you're ready add your Garofalo Spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.
11. I recommend turning the heat off your bolognese 5 minutes before your pasta is ready to allow it to rest before serving. If you have them stir in torn, fresh basil leaves.
12. If you're saving some sauce for leftovers split this out first, then add your spaghetti straight to the pan with a splash of pasta water, using tongs or a spoon coat the pasta in the sauce and serve with extra on top and a good grating of parmesan!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

777.24

Fat (grams)

31.81

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.90

Carbs (grams)

61.86

Fibre (grams)

9.21

Net carbs

52.64

Sugar (grams)

17.61

Protein (grams)

53.69

Sodium (milligrams)

315.50

Cholesterol (grams)

137.56

Values per whole meal

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to tag @cookingcarafes #

Butternut Squash Risotto

This easy butternut squash risotto is perfect for autumn dinners. Combine squash, chilli and sage for a delicious seasonal risotto.

I tend to make my risottos using olive oil instead of butter so this risotto can also easily be vegan.

That said you can also add pancetta if you want to add an extra layer of flavour, its saltiness pairs perfectly with the sweetness of butternut squash.

I’ve used Riso Gallo’s Traditional Risotto Rice, a sustainable choice. Riso Gallo is the first international brand in the sector to have undertaken the production of rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium risotto rices fully Sustainable.

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Butternut Squash Risotto

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 15 MinCooking time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This seasonal squash risotto is perfect for autumn days, and can be made vegan

Ingredients

• 200g Riso Gallo Traditional Risotto Rice 
• 275g of butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock   
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• Bunch of fresh sage leaves
• 3 tbsps of olive oil or 65g butter
• Glass of white wine (optional)   
• Parmesan or alternative hard cheese (optional) 
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
2. Peel and dice your squash into 1 - 1.5cm pieces. Place in a baking tray, drizzle in olive oil, add 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes. Using a spoon mix the squash so it's coated in olive oil and chilli flakes, then scatter with 10 sage leaves.
3. Place in the oven and cook for at least 30 minutes.
4. While the squash is cooking, prep your other ingredients.
5. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil (or 40g butter) to a large flat based pan and add your finely chopped onion. Cook gently on a low heat for at least 5 minutes or until softened. Don't let your onion burn.
6. Increase the heat, add your risotto rice, coat it in the olive oil and keep the rice morning. This is called the tostatura, it helps to cook the rice perfectly al dente, by sealing the grains of rice.
7. Add a small glass of white wine, if you prefer not to cook with alcohol you can add splash of stock, stir the rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
8. Turn the heat down and add 200ml or a ladleful of hot stock to the pan and continue to stir until all the liquid is absorbed.
9. Repeat the process by adding another 200ml of stock each time until absorbed. Keep stirring to ensure the starch released doesn’t cause the rice to stick together.
10. After your squash has been cooking for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and using half of the cooked squash, gently mash it with a fork or masher to form a rough puree. Add this to the risotto and stir through.
11. Remove the risotto from the heat and add a good grating of parmesan, and either 25g of butter or olive oil, stir, and place a lid (or plate) over your pan and allow it to rest for two minutes.
12. This is the mantacatura – when you add fat such as olive oil, butter or cheese to give the risotto its distinct glossiness and taste.
13. Plate up and top with the leftover squash and sage leaves, and top with extra parmesan. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

730.24

Fat (grams)

49.33

Sat. Fat (grams)

20.39

Carbs (grams)

53.32

Fibre (grams)

5.15

Net carbs

48.17

Sugar (grams)

6.82

Protein (grams)

8.79

Sodium (milligrams)

21.01

Cholesterol (grams)

75.89

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to tag @cookingcarafes #

This recipe is from one of my Cook Alongs and is part of a paid sponsorship with Riso Gallo.

Riso Gallo brings you the best Italian Risotto Rice selected from the best rice fields of the Po Valley, motherland of Risotto and Risotto Rice. Riso Gallo guarantees the origin of the rice from selected rice farms; the traditional stone husking using "Amburgo" model whitening machines (dating from 1898); and a careful grain-by-grain selection process.

Find out more about Riso Gallo

Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle

For anyone who asks, Pappardelle is always my answer when it comes to my favourite type of pasta! And what pairs better with Pappardelle than a Beef Shin Ragu. Cooked low and slow, this really is a deliciously simple recipe that you let the cooking do the hard work for you.

After some initial prep all that is left to do is leave the ragu cooking for several hours, allowing the meat to become so tender it falls apart and leaves a rich, flavoursome sauce that just needs some pasta adding to it.

The best bit is this recipe is bound to leave you with leftovers that can be frozen or will taste even better the next day!

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Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle

Servings: 4-6

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 15 MinCooking time: 3 HourInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 4 H & 15 M

Beef shin ragu cooked low and slow for the perfect comfort pasta dish

Ingredients

• 400g Pappardelle
• 500g Beef Shin
• 75g diced pancetta
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 750ml beef stock
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the sinew from the edges of any beef shin before cutting into into chunks
2. Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery for a soffritto base.
3. In a large casserole dish, add the pancetta and cook on a medium heat until starting to brown.
4. Turn the heat down
5. Cook the pancetta until starting to brown
6. Turn the heat right down, add 2tbsps of olive oil and add a soffritto base of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft for about 10 minutes
7. Then add the garlic (crushed), finely chopped rosemary and the beef shin. Stir add let the meat lightly brown.
8. Add 1 tbsp of tomato purée, the wine and 500ml of the beef stock and stir
9. Add 200g of chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
10. Cook on a low heat on the hob or in the oven (150 degrees) for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
11. If the dish starts to dry out top up with the remaining stock and chopped tomatoes.
12. Cook until the meat is easily falling apart and the sauce becomes a lovely thick ragu.
13. Once cooked, leave to rest while you cook your pasta.
14. Combine the ragu and pasta together with a splash of pasta water, serve with grated Parmiggiano Reggiano 
15. If you wish to halve the recipe you can freeze the ragu for a delicious meal another time.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

715.80

Fat (grams)

39.51

Sat. Fat (grams)

14.08

Carbs (grams)

36.60

Fibre (grams)

2.23

Net carbs

34.36

Sugar (grams)

5.73

Protein (grams)

45.22

Sodium (milligrams)

26.44

Cholesterol (grams)

155.25

beef shin ragu, beef shin, beef shin pappardelle

Pasta, Italian food, Dinner

Italian

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Cacio e Pepe with Parma Ham

I’ve added my own twist to the traditional Roman dish of Cacio e Pepe, literally meaning cheese and pepper. I’ve added some tasty, crispy Parma Ham on top to bring an extra something to this super simple dish. With just a few ingredients you can make this pasta recipe in no time!

Cacio e Pepe

A Roman dish, with many methods and variations of how to make it. Traditionally made with Pecorino Romano, but I’ve opted for Parmesan in my recipe, purely because it’s what more of you will have readily available in their fridge!

You can mix it up and use both or one or the other; as always use what you have and what you prefer! Some recipes call for you making a cheesy paste with the parmesan and pasta water, others for combining in the pan or on a plate – I’ve opted for altogether in the pan as it’s how I like to make it, but make this dish your own and play around with different methods – it’s the way you’ll perfect your own Cacio e Pepe.

Adding Parma Ham

Parma Ham or Prosciutto di Parma is such a versatile ingredient, it’s sweet and delicate taste makes it perfect for serving on its own, with cheese or combining with other ingredients like melon or fig – perfect for summer starters. Parma Ham is 100% natural, made using only pork, salt, air and time!

Aged for a minimum of 12 months, Parma Ham is produced in the region of Parma and has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), meaning it has to be produced in this region and meet the quality to display the Ducal crown that you will see on packaging or leg of ham – this means it has met all of the requirements and quality to be Parma Ham.

 Because of its versatile nature it’s great for serving as it is, griddling or BBQ when wrapping produce like asparagus or my Parma Ham BBQ Skewers with cod or chicken, or even in the oven, but for this I have cooked it in a pan on the hob to give it a nice crisp finish, perfect for topping this Cacio e Pepe recipe.

Find out more about Parma Ham

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Cacio e Pepe with Parma Ham

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Cooking time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Add a twist to this classic Roman dish with Prosciuttio di Parma

Ingredients

• 80g Parma Ham
• 200g spaghetti
• 25g butter
• 80g Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn, coarsely ground

Instructions

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, salt and add the spaghetti 
2. While the spaghetti is cooking, tear the Parma Ham slices into a frying pan, and on a medium heat allow the Parma Ham to crisp up, about 3-4 minutes
3. Once it's crisped up remove from the pan and place on a plate. 
4. In a clean pan, add the butter, allow it to melt a little and then add the ground peppercorns and a splash of pasta water 
5. Let this emulsify a little on a low heat
6. Next drain the pasta when it's cooked al dente and add to the pan coating in the butter and pasta water 
7. Scatter the parmesan on top and allow it to melt into the spaghetti
8. Toss the spaghetti with tongs and add another splash of pasta water as you keep tossing the pasta to create a smooth and silky sauce
9. Serve, top with Parma Ham and extra Parmesan!                                       

Nutrition Facts

Calories

466.09

Fat (grams)

23.96

Sat. Fat (grams)

13.08

Carbs (grams)

36.91

Fibre (grams)

1.55

Net carbs

35.35

Sugar (grams)

1.55

Protein (grams)

25.73

Sodium (milligrams)

1197.80

Cholesterol (grams)

86.88

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This recipe is part of a paid for collaboration with Parma Ham from one of my Cook Alongs

Mediterranean Cous Cous

If you’ve been to an Italian supermarket, or just popped to your local Italian deli you will have seen the great array of marinated vegetables that are available in glass jars. These used to be some of my favourite things to pick up in the supermarket for lunches and dinners.

When you need a quick lunch or dinner they’re great to have in the cupboard or fridge to add to dishes. without compromising on flavour, as they have been preserved at their best state. So here I’ve combined some of my store cupboard favourites with cous cous from Garofalo – serve this as a salad on its own or it makes the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and fish, particularly for a BBQ!

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Mediterranean Cous Cous

Servings: 2 as a main, 4+ as a side

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Use some of my store cupboard favourites to make a tasty cous cous

Ingredients

• 130g Garofalo cous cous
• 260g boiling water / stock
• 90g marinated artichokes, roughly sliced
• 60g sun blushed tomatoes
• 200g mixed beans
• Handful Cherry tomatoes
• 2 tsp Capers
• Lemon juice and zest of half a lemon
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Put the cous cous in a bowl and pour over the boiling water or stock, place a plate over the top of the bowl and allow to soak up the water for about 5 minutes
2. Add the artichokes, tomatoes, beans and capers and combine together
3. Next season with lemon juice and zest and a drizzle of olive oil – if you want a little more flavour add some garlic oil
4. Serve as a meal for two or side for more. This also tastes great with feta but optional to add.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

341.65

Fat (grams)

9.95

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.57

Carbs (grams)

50.76

Fibre (grams)

10.49

Net carbs

40.27

Sugar (grams)

6.99

Protein (grams)

15.10

Sodium (milligrams)

544.54

Cholesterol (grams)

3.60

Did you make this recipe?

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Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe is from my Cook Along series and is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Spring Vegetable Risotto with Riso Gallo Rustico

Risotto definitely isn’t just for winter, in fact I think a spring risotto is one of my favourites. I love creating a light, fresh risotto with lots of lovely seasonal vegetables like asparagus, peas and courgettes with some lemon juice to give it a zesty finish, and lift all the flavours which is balanced perfectly with the natural creaminess of the finished dish.

This recipe is using Riso Gallo’s Carnaroli Rustico, a semi-wholegrain brown rice. It has a fabulous texture when cooked, plus it’s higher fibre content makes it a great option for a healthy and balanced diet. That’s why it’s such a great choice for this spring risotto.

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Spring Vegetable Risotto with Asparagus and Peas

Servings: 3-4

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

A favourite risotto recipe for seasonal veg such as asparagus, courgette and peas - it makes a delicious dinner on its own or to accompany grilled fish or seafood

Ingredients

• 300g of Carnaroli Rustico from Riso Gallo
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of asparagus, stalks chopped, keep the spears separate
• 1 courgette, quartered
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• Glass of white wine
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 30g Butter, or use olive oil
• 30g Parmesan, or alternative hard cheese
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Risottos always begin with a soffritto, for this recipe I am just using onion but you in others I often use celery and carrot too. We’re also going to use the asparagus stems in the initial stage of cooking.
2. Add 2tbsp of olive oil for your soffritto, add your onion and gently cook on a low heat. We don’t want to burn the onion so keep moving it and if needed you can add a splash of water. Allow the onion to cook for five minutes so it starts to soften.
3. Next add your asparagus stalks that are chopped into 1cm rounds and your courgette. Cook with the onion for a further five minutes.
4. Increase the heat add your risotto rice, this is the tostatura. This helps to cook the rice perfectly al dente, by sealing the grains of rice. Coat it in the olive oil, and keep the rice morning.
5. Next add a small glass of white wine (or vermouth), this helps to add a little acidity to give risotto its distinctive flavour. However, if you prefer not to cook with alcohol you can add splash of stock and stir the rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
6. Then add about 200ml or a ladleful of hot stock to the pan and continue to stir, until all the liquid is absorbed, and again add 200ml of stock and keep doing this for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring to ensure the starch released doesn’t cause the rice to sick together.
7. Add the juice and zest of half a lemon and continue to cook for a further five minutes. Add any additional stock as required.
8. Now add your asparagus spears, and continue to cook for a final 5 minutes. To help the asparagus cook I pop a lid on to steam them a little, stirring every minute. For the final minute or two add your peas right at the end to help them keep their colour. Taste and season if necessary, adding any additional lemon juice if required.
9. Now it’s time for the mantacatura, a phrase used specifically for risotto taken from the verbs whisking and creaming – this is when we add some fat such as olive oil, butter, or cheese to give the risotto its distinct glossiness and taste. Add the parmesan, and either butter or olive oil, give a good stir, and place a lid (or plate) over your pan and allow it to rest for two minutes.
10. Plate up and top with parmesan. Best served with a chilled white wine!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

576.31

Fat (grams)

24.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.10

Carbs (grams)

62.69

Fibre (grams)

15.66

Net carbs

47.03

Sugar (grams)

24.86

Protein (grams)

18.70

Sodium (milligrams)

566.19

Cholesterol (grams)

41.74

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This recipe is from one of my Cook Alongs and is part of a paid sponsorship with Riso Gallo.

Carnaroli Rice is known as the King of risotto rice because of its amazing ability to maintain its shape and flavour, and to blend perfectly with all types of ingredients.

 The Carnaroli Rustico from Riso Gallo adds an extra depth to that being semi-wholegrain, its nuttiness and texture make for a healthy and perfect risotto; al dente to bite with a creamy finish,

Find out more about Riso Gallo

Butternut Squash Ravioli

A popular and perfect combination for ravioli is butternut squash. Roasted beforehand and left to cool it makes the perfect ravioli filling. In this recipe I have combined the squash with some ricotta for a smoother, creamier finish but you can omit this if you want to, and just use parmesan or a hard cheese.

I love serving this up with a sage butter, drizzled on top to coat each ravioli and scattered with grated parmesan. For a finishing touch, hold back a couple of spoonfuls of the squash to heat through with the butter and serve scattered on top.

If you haven’t made pasta before this recipe walks you through each step, from making the dough to rolling and creating your ravioli shapes.

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Butternut Squash and Ricotta Ravioli

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 1 H & 30 MCooking time: 10 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

A popular and perfect combination for ravioli is butternut squash.

Ingredients

Pasta Dough

• 200g pasta flour
• 2 large eggs

Butternut Squash and Ricotta filling

• 1 Butternut squash, diced and roasted
• 150g soft ricotta
• 25g grated parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Sage Butter

• 50g salted butter
• 6 – 10 Sage leaves

Instructions

For the filling

1. Roast your butternut squash ahead of time so it has time to cool. Dice it into 1cm cubed piece, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and any freshly chopped herbs such as sage or rosemary. Roast for 35 - 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees. 
2. Once it has cooled, gently mash your squash using a fork or masher.
3. Then in a bowl add a large spoonful of ricotta and mix with the squash. Depending on the size of your butternut squash you may want to add more ricotta. You want get a smooth texture.
4. Next add the grated parmesan and combine.
5. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You may also want to add a sprinkling of chilli flakes for a little heat.

For the pasta dough

1. The ratio of 100g to each egg always works well, so you can alter as required.
2. I like to use a big wooden board for my pasta dough, but you can use your work surface, a large plate or a bowl, whatever you’re comfortable with.
3. Empty your flour on to the board and make a well in the centre of the flour.
4. Crack the eggs into the well.
5. Using a fork gradually mix the egg and slowly introduce the flour (try to not break the wall if using a board).
6. It will start to form a light batter like mix, keep bringing the flour into the mix until it’s formed enough to use your hands to bring it together. Don’t worry If you haven’t used all the flour.
7. Using your hands, combine it together and using the heel of your palm begin to knead it to form a dough.
8. Push the dough away from you, fold back on itself and rotate 90 degrees and continue this method for 5-10 minutes until you get a nice smooth dough, that springs back when you touch it.
9. Wrap it in BeeBee wrap, or some cling film and leave to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
10. If you’re going to leave it any longer I recommend resting it in the fridge (up to 24 hours)

Make your ravioli

1. If you have a pasta machine this is by far the easiest and quickest way to roll pasta sheets, otherwise a rolling pin will do the job perfectly!
2. Halve the pasta dough to make it easier. If you’re using a machine I usually recommend to start by going to setting 6, as you get more confident you can make your dough thinner. If you’re hand rolling your dough, keep rolling until you have thin sheet of pasta, like a lasagne sheet, about 3mm thick
3. Once your pasta dough is rolled and ready cut two sheets so they’re roughly the same size in length.
4. On one piece, start to place evenly spaced teaspoons of filling along the sheet, use a fork’s width to measure between them.
5. Place the other piece of dough over the top and gently push round the filling pushing out any air as you go. You can also fold the pasta dough over the filling if you find this easier.
6. If you have a stamp use it to cut the raviolis. If these don’t cut through the dough use a pasta cutter wheel to define the shapes and edges and cut them into shape. Alternatively use a knife to cut into squares, and if needed crimp the edges with a fork to seal them.
7. Place on a well floured baking tray, plate or straight on to a tea towel.
8. To cook the ravioli bring a pan of water to the boil, add some salt and add the ravioli to the pan, let cook for approximately 3-5 minutes depending on how thick your dough was.
9. While that’s cooking, melt the butter in a pan and add the sage leaves to flavour.
10. Once the ravioli is cooked, add it to the pan with the butter to coat the ravioli. Serve, drizzle in the remaining butter and grate some parmesan on top.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

646.25

Fat (grams)

15.34

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.63

Carbs (grams)

104.98

Fibre (grams)

10.32

Net carbs

94.66

Sugar (grams)

4.99

Protein (grams)

23.55

Sodium (milligrams)

622.06

Cholesterol (grams)

41.52

https://www.cookingandcarafes.co.uk/recipes/butternut-squash-ravioli

ravioli, butternut squash ravioli, pasta making, homemade ravioli

Pasta

Italian

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Puttanesca Pasta

This well known pasta recipe has a few variations and differing stories behind it’s origin! Some say it’s a dish famous in Rome, others say it comes from Naples. Stories range from a meal thrown together in a restaurant with the ingredients that were left over, to originating in the brothels of the Spanish Quarters in Naples (whore is puttana in Italian, hence puttanesca).

Either way it’s delicious and can be ready in as little as 10 minutes. This has become one of my favourite recipes for lunch or a quick dinner because it is packed full of so many great, pungent flavours that all combine together to make a mouthwateringly good dish.

I’ve used Garofalo’s Spaghetti, also straight out of Naples, made in the nearby town of Gragnano.

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Puttanesca Pasta

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

A mouthwatering recipe, full of flavour, ready in 10 minutes - this is a quick and tasty spaghetti and puttanesca sauce

Ingredients

• 180g Garofalo Spaghetti 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 
• 1 red chilli, halved and sliced 
• 4 anchovies, roughly chopped 
• 50g pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 tbsp capers 
• 250g tomatoes, halved and cut into slithers or just halved if using cherry tomatoes 
• Olive oil
• Fresh flat leaf parsley 

Instructions

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, salt it and add your spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, add a good glug, or at least 2 tbsps of olive oil to a pan on a low heat.
3. Add your anchovies, garlic and chilli and cook for one minute or until the pan starts to gently sizzle and the anchovies are breaking down into the oil.  
4. Add your tomatoes and increase the heat a little to let them break down and start to create a sauce. At this point you can add a splash of pasta water to help the sauce. 
5. Add your olives and capers. 
6. Just before adding your pasta, add the parsley and then add the spaghetti and toss all together coating in the sauce. 
7. Serve - this dish is best served with no parmesan in my opinion as it already has plenty of saltiness from the anchovies and capers and is packed full of flavour.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories

553.82

Fat (grams)

28.11

Sat. Fat (grams)

7.02

Carbs (grams)

49.93

Fibre (grams)

5.03

Net carbs

44.90

Sugar (grams)

7.19

Protein (grams)

26.87

Sodium (milligrams)

1577.27

Cholesterol (grams)

57.20

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to tag @cookingcarafes #cookingandcarafes

Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe is from my Cook Along series and is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Lemon Linguine

This creamy lemon linguine will impress your friends for a light lunch or starter. Ready in 10 minutes this recipe is perfect for sunny days. Using just six ingredients this lemon pasta is sure to tantalise your taste buds! The lemon, caper and butter sauce, with a hint of garlic makes the perfect combination, set off with the peppery rocket. There is no need for additional seasoning or parmesan when it comes to this dish - it is simplicity at its best.

If you’re vegan, you can substitute butter for olive oil for a vegan lemon linguine.

Why linguine?

I’ve used Garofalo linguine as my pasta of choice, the flat, long shape lends itself to the creamy lemon sauce, capturing the capers with twirls of strands and perfect for entangling the rocket!

Garofalo pasta is made in a town called Gragnano just outside Naples, renowned for its long steeped history of pasta making, thanks to the towns coastal breeze that gave the perfect conditions for drying pasta while it hung outside. Things have of course moved on since the 19th Century and now Garofalo uses its bronze dies and expert technology coupled with highest quality durum wheat semolina to produce their great tasting pasta.

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Lemon Linguine

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carfes

Prep time: 5 MinCooking time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

This refreshing and light pasta dish would make a great starter or as light lunch or dinner

Ingredients

Lemon Linguine

• 180g Garofalo Linguine 
• 60g salted butter, alternatively you can use 4-5tbsps of extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 tbsp capers 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 1 lemon, and zest 
• 2 handfuls of rocket 

Instructions

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and then add salt. 
2. Add your Garofalo linguine to the pan. 
3. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add your butter to a pan.
4. Lightly, crush and peel a garlic clove using the back of your knife, add to the butter to flavour it, we will be removing it later. 
5. After one minute add the capers and shake the pan to flavour the butter. 
6. Remove the garlic clove. Add the zest and juice of half a lemon. 
7. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add straight to the butter and capers. 
8. Add the juice from the remaining half of the lemon. 
9. You may also want to add a little splash of pasta water too, to help the sauce cling to the pasta. Toss together with tongs, and add the rocket so it wilts a little. 
10. Serve, and top with a little extra lemon zest. 

Calories

374.68

Fat (grams)

25.42

Sat. Fat (grams)

15.62

Carbs (grams)

32.84

Fibre (grams)

3.24

Net carbs

29.59

Sugar (grams)

1.65

Protein (grams)

6.33

Sodium (milligrams)

497.78

Cholesterol (grams)

64.50

.https://www.cookingandcarafes.co.uk/recipes/lemon-linguine

lemon linguine, linguine, pasta recipe, linguine recipe, quick pasta recipe

Pasta

Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to tag @cookingcarafes #cookingandcarafes

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This dish also tastes great served cold, you could always sub linguine for penne for a tasty summer salad to serve as a side with grilled fish.

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This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Gnocchi Pasta Bake with Roasted Veg and Smoked Pancetta

Gnocchi is a great pasta to use for an al forno dish, this means it’s baked in the oven. Here I combine it with roasted vegetables like aubergine with smoked pancetta and chilli flakes for a flavoursome, smoky sauce with a little heat.

If you want to make this dish even quicker just top with mozzarella but if you want to add a later of creaminess and extra comfort make my white sauce to layer on top before finishing with mozzarella.

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves: 2-3 Calories: 643 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 500g gnocchi
• 75g diced smoked pancetta
• Aubergine, diced 1cm cubed pieces
• Courgette, quartered in slices
• Red Onion, quartered into segments and then halved again into eighths
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 500g passata
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Olive Oil

Optional white sauce

• 30g butter
• 30g plain flour
• 300ml milk

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees (fan oven)

2. Add the pancetta to a baking dish, and place in the oven while you prep your veg.

3. Dice the aubergine in to 1 cm cubed piece, quarter the courgette and the red onion, and quarter again.

4. After about 10 minutes the pancetta will have released some lovely fats full of flavour. Add the veg, chilli flakes, and oregano, drizzle in olive oil and combine with the pancetta and fats.

5. Return to the oven to roast for another 10 minutes while you prep the white sauce, or besciamella.

6. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and whisk to form a roux. Add half the milk and continue to whisk on a medium heat, as it starts to thicken add the remaining milk.

7. Season with salt and pepper, and you can add fresh grated nutmeg too. Put to one side.

8. Once your veg is roasted, add your gnocchi and half the passata, combine together to everything is well mixed and coated in sauce. Then top with the passata, you might not need it all just make sure all the gnocchi is covered but not brimming over.

9. Then top with your white sauce and tear the mozzarella up and dot across the top. Season with pepper.
10. Turn the heat up on the oven to 200 degrees and return to the oven for 10 minutes until bubbling and browned on top.

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Easy Baked Conchiglioni with Bolognese Sauce

I love making my dishes from scratch using good, simple ingredients. Sometimes I also just want an easy dinner that doesn’t compromise on flavour or quality. Using Garofalo’s Bolognese Sauce paired with their Conchiglioni is the perfect way to make a great tasting, easy dinner using all natural ingredients.

The Conchiglioni is perfect for stuffing and Garofalo’s Bolognese sauce doesn’t contain any artificial flavours or preservatives. It’s made with fresh ripe tomatoes, beef, pork, extra virgin olive oil, onions, carrots, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

I made a simple white, or besciamella, sauce while the pasta cooked and then combined them all together, and topped with torn mozzarella.

You can watch the whole process on reels over on my Instagram @CookingCarafes.

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Easy baked Conchiglioni with Bolognese Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 3

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Ingredients

• 180g Garofalo Conchiglioni Pasta
• 310g of Garofalo Bolognese Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 25g butter
• 25g flour
• 250ml milk
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Fresh basil

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (fan oven)

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, salt your water and add your pasta.

2. Cook the pasta for 13 minutes (3 minutes short of the recommended cooking time)

3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil or butter in a pan and once warm or melted, stir in the flour with a whisk to create a roux. Stir quickly with the butter to create a golden mixture and add half the cold milk.

4. Whisk together on a medium heat and then add the rest of the milk. Keep stirring with the whisk. Season with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg if you have some.

5. Once it has begun to thicken turn off the heat. Line the base of an oven dish with the sauce. Reserve a tablespoon to top some of the shells with.

6. Once the shells are cooked, drain and using a slotted spoon gently lift them out one by one and to the dish with the open shell side up.

7. Add a teaspoon of sauce to each shell so it fills it.

8. Once complete, dot the leftover white sauce on top, and tear the mozzarella ball into various sized pieces and decorate the top, try to pick area where the shells are peaking out and sticking together.

9. Season with black pepper and you can always add some grated parmesan or hard cheese on top.

10. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned on top and bubbling.

11. Decorate with fresh basil if you wish.

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This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Malloreddus alla Campidanese

This is a truly traditional Sardinian dish, you'll find it on restaurant menus on the island. I remember eating this dish on lots of occasions with friends in Pula, and not least with my neighbour Angioletta and her husband. They used to invite me for lunch before the whole town took a siesta.

If you want to bring a taste of Sardinia into your kitchen at home, follow the recipe below.

Malloreddus alla campidanese

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 pork sausages, skins removed
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp of crushed fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp of freshly chopped rosemary
• 400g chopped tinned tomatoes
• 200g Gnocchi Sardia pasta, available form Garofalo, including Gluten Free.
• Pecorino, or parmesan or alternative hard cheese
• Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the finely chopped onion, and cook on a low heat until soft.
2. Meanwhile skin the sausages so you only have the meat, then add this to the pan, along with the fennel and rosemary. Mix with a wooden spoon to break down the meat and brown.
3. Add the tomato puree and stir into the sausage meat, then add 400g of chopped tomatoes. Rinse the tomato can out with a splash of water and add to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes, if it starts to look a little dry add a splash of pasta water.
5. While the sauce is simmering bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta. Add a pinch of salt and cook the pasta - you can also make this from scratch using semolina or water. Alternatively Garofalo have gnochetti sardi in their range.
6. Once you're happy with your sauce, it should have thickened but remain silky. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir it in, along with some Pecorino stirred through.
7. Now it's time to serve, with an extra topping of Pecorino cheese, this dish would also go beautifully with a bottle of Cannonau if you can get your hands on this Sardinian wine that matches perfectly with the deep flavours of the sauce and the sausage.

This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Nduja Chicken and Mushroom Orzo

I’ve been experimenting with this recipe for a while. I love nduja, and I like finding new ways of adding its powerful Calabrian kick to dishes. This is such an easy one pot dish for a weeknight meal or serving up for friends.

Garofalo Orzo is the perfect match for this dish, cooked in stock with the nduja it soaks up all the delicious flavours. Orzo is often used in soups and stock based dishes due to its quick cooking time and versatility for dishes.

I cook everything all together without removing the chicken from the pan but if you find it easier you can remove it, just ensure sure your chicken is cooked through, and juices run clear before serving.

Nduja chicken and Mushroom Orzo with Garofalo

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Serves: 2-3 | Nutrition: 651 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 180g – 200g Garofalo Orzo
• ½ Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 Celery stick, finely chopped
• 100g Mushrooms, sliced
• 6 Chicken thighs (skinless & boneless)
• 200g Passata
• 500ml Chicken stock
• 30g Nduja / 2tbsp nduja pasta/pesto
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1tbsp plain flour

Method

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan, if your chicken thighs are particularly large I would cut in half to make it easier, dust them with flour and cook on a high heat for five minutes, regularly turning. Lower the heat and cook for a further five minutes, or until browned all over.
2. Temporarily remove the pan from the heat, add the onions, carrot, celery and mushrooms and a little more olive oil, and a splash of water or stock. Season with salt and pepper. Then return to the low heat and cook for a further 5 minutes with the chicken. If you find it easier you can remove the chicken while you cook the vegetables and combine the orzo but I find it’s fine all in one pan.
3. Add the nduja and allow to soften, then add the orzo and a little bit of stock to allow all the flavours to combine together.
4. Add the passata and remaining stock, stir.
5. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 20 – 25 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick.
6. If it starts to look too dry add some more water while the orzo continues to cook. You want a nice smooth consistency so you don’t want the orzo to absorb all the sauce.
7. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley.

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This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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Other Recipes you might like

The Perfect Easy Risotto with Riso Gallo

I cooked up a risotto with my lovely guests as part of my Easy Risotto Cook Along with Riso Gallo. I made it versatile so people could add ingredients they had at home. We used Carnaroli as it’s a great choice for using different ingredients, and has a slightly higher starch content than arborio so leave a gorgeous creamy finish and the perfect al dente bite.

I chose to make pancetta and porcini mushroom risotto – one of my favourites! So the ingredients list you’ll see is for that, but I explain in the method when to add different ingredients so feel free to get creative with your dishes.

If you’re looking for even more risotto ideas use the recipe finder over on risogallo.co.uk or be inspired by budding young chefs at youngrisottochef.co.uk

Pancetta and Porcini Mushroom Risotto using Riso Gallo Carnaroli

Pancetta and Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Riso Gallo

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 3-4 (or two with leftovers) | Nutrition: 510 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 300g of Carnaroli Riso Gallo
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 75g diced pancetta / bacon lardons or bacon
• 50g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• Glass of white wine
• 20g porcini mushrooms, soaked and roughly chopped
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp oregano
• 30g Butter
• 30g Parmesan, or alternative hard cheese
• Olive Oil

Method

1. Traditionally a risotto starts with butter, but because I’m adding pancetta I cook this off first and the fat from the pancetta helps flavour the risotto as it cooks, so I begin with pancetta in the pan on a medium heat for a few minutes.

2. When the fat is released add your soffritto ingredients of onion, carrot and celery. If you’re not using pancetta begin with 25g of butter or a good glug (1-2tbsp) of olive oil for your soffritto. You don’t have to use all three ingredients, you can just use onion or you can substitute celery for leek, or fennel, it’s up to you and with more confidence you can decide how you prefer your risotto. I also add oregano and season with salt at this point.

3. Once your soffritto has started to soften, add any other veg your including in your dish, so for me this was my chestnut mushrooms. If you’re adding anything that is pre-cooked like chicken, prawns or porcini, we will stir these in five minutes before the end, along with anything such as frozen peas or fresh spinach.

4. Once your veg has started to soften, increase the heat a little and add your risotto rice, we want to toast it a little and coat it in the lovely butter or olive oil from the pan, you can always add a little extra if needed. Don’t let the rice stick, keep it moving!

5. Next up, add your glass of white wine (or vermouth), alternatively add splash of stock and stir the rice until all the liquid is absorbed.

6. Then add about 200ml or a ladelful of hot stock to the pan and continue to stir, until all the liquid is absorbed, and again add 200ml of stock and keep doing this for about 10 - 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Then add any of your ingredients like porcini mushrooms, chicken, prawns, frozen pes, spinach etc and continue to cook for a final 5-8 minutes until the rice is cooked al dente and you still have a little stock remaining with the rice. Taste and season if necessary.

8. Then add your grated parmesan and some butter (or olive oil if vegan), give a good stir, and place a lid (or plate) over your pan and allow it to rest for two minutes. This is called the mantecare ‘to stir together’

9. Plate up, top with parmesan and enjoy!

More about Riso Gallo

Riso Gallo is one of the oldest rice-growing companies in Italy.Riso Gallo started out back in 1856 with a factory in Genoa that processed imported paddy rice.

They have been making Italians happy for six generations. Riso Gallo’s mission is to spread the culture of rice and risotto throughout the world by using innovation that constantly adapts to the needs of the modern consumer.

Even if recently more exotic varieties of rice such as black Venus rice have been used to make risotto, great traditional Italian risottos normally use three specific varieties of great white rices.



Riserva Gallo Arborio

Derived from the older Vialone variety in circa 1946, the heat gently penetrates its long grains during cooking preserving the right amount of starch inside to remain “al dente” yet giving creaminess, which is needed to make it perfectly smooth.

Riserva Gallo Carnaroli

This variety has also been obtained from a series of crosses in 1945 and since then it has quickly become a favourite of Italians who love risotto because of its amazing ability to maintain its shape and flavour, and to blend perfectly with all types of ingredients.



Sustainablility

Riso Gallo is the first international Italian rice brand to have undertaken the production of rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium best-selling risotto rices - Gallo Risotto Tradition, Arborio, Carnaroli and Carnaroli Rustico - fully sustainable. Plus also now in packaging suitable for recycling.

Find out more about Riso Gallo

Stelline Chicken Soup

This chicken soup recipe with Garofalo Stelline pasta has become one of my favourite winter comfort foods. Enjoy for lunch or an easy, light dinner; both kids and adults will love this. Traditionally Stelline are served in brodo, which means broth or stock, on their own but I prefer adding some chicken and basic veg to make this even tastier.

It’s a great way to make the most of leftover chicken from a roast but you could also roast some chicken legs specifically for the recipe. I would recommend roasting them the day before so you can use the bones to make your own stock.

Stelline Chicken Soup with Garofalo

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 2-3 | Nutrition: 278 calorioes per portion (based on 3 servings)

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Ingredients

• Leftover chicken from 2 chicken legs, approximately 175g chicken, shredded. It doesn’t matter if it’s less, this dish is about utilising leftovers
• 700ml chicken stock (homemade is best, see my tips below)
• 80g Garofalo Stelline (organic Garofalo stelline also available)
• 2 small carrots, sliced and quartered
• 2 sticks of celery, sliced and quartered
• 1 small onion / half a large onion, finely chopped
• 10g flour
• Olive Oil / 25g butter
• 1tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Wedge of lemon to serve
• Drizzle of double cream to serve (optional)

Method

1. Add 2tbsp of olive oil or 25g butter in a pan, add the onion, carrot and celery, season with a little salt, and on a low heat cover with a lid and stir occasionally. Cook for five minutes until they are softened, you don’t want them to burn.

2. Add the 10g flour and combine, then add your stock, season with pepper and bring to a simmer and allow to cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

3. Add the stelline, continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Add your shredded chicken meat to the pan, and stir in a 1tbsp freshly chopped parsley and cook for a further 2 minutes.

5. Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon to be squeezed into the dish – this really does make all the difference, and if you have any double cream stir in a drizzle – enjoy!

How to make your own homemade stock or broth

When you have a roast chicken or leg/thighs, shred the meat and add the bones to a large pan with vegetable ends such as carrots, celery. Quarter an onion, add a bay leaf, peppercorns and any herbs. Cover the bones in two litres of water and bring to a boil with the lid, simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes and a further 45 minutes – 1 hour with the lid removed until reduced. Strain through a fine sieve

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This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership.

More about Garofalo Pasta

Garofalo has been making pasta in Gragnano, a small town near Naples in Italy since 1789 and they have a huge amount of history, experience and passion for Pasta. Today they combine artisan knowledge with modern technology to make what they consider the best possible pasta. 

Garofalo is a premium Italian Wheat pasta made with only two ingredients, wheat and water.  You can’t produce excellent pasta if the best wheat is not used. They only choose wheat that, in addition to a specific gluten level, offers a particular colour, cleanliness and flavour characteristics. These are essential to give Pasta Garofalo its distinctive character. 

Within their wheat pasta ranges are traditional wheat pasta, organic whole wheat pasta and organic traditional wheat pasta. All Garofalo dry pasta sold in the UK is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, containing no egg, even the gluten free pasta ranges. 

Discover more about how Garofalo pasta is made

Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon