Creamy red pepper, prawn and chorizo Mafalda Corta with Garofalo

This is a quick and easy mid week meal. A creamy tomato pasta with a subtle kick of paprika, with a flavoursome combo of red pepper, prawns and chorizo, Garofalo Mafalda Corta works beautifully with this sauce.

Creamy tomato, red pepper, prawn and chorizo Mafalda Corta with Garofalo

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Nutrition: 653 calorioes per portion (based on 2 servings)

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Ingredients

• 180g – 200g Garofalo Mafalda Corta
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ red pepper (more if omitting the prawns or chorizo), cut into strips roughly 3cm by 1cm
• 75g chorizo, diced
• 75-100g cooked king prawns, roughly chopped
• 70g crème fraiche
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine (optional)
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp dried herbs, like oregano or mixed Italian herbs
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt

Method

1. Add a tbsp of olive oil to a large flat based pan and add your onion, red pepper, tomatoes. Season with salt and add your dried herbs.

2. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While this is cooking, boil your pasta water, salt it and add the Garofalo Mafalda Corta.

3. Add your chorizo, paprika and chopped parsley to the pan, cook for one minute.

4. Add a splash of white wine or pasta water, then add your crème fraiche, lemon zest and juice and combine.

5. Add your prawns and continue to cook on a low heat while the pasta continues to cook until al dente (about 8 minutes). If the sauce starts to thicken too much add a splash of pasta water.

6. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the sauce and stir together.

7. Serve and garnish with parsley

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. 

Garofalo pasta has a rough porous surface due to the dough passing through a bronze die to form each shape, allowing the sauce to stick and absorb into the cooked pasta for the perfect mouthful of pasta and sauce! 

Within their wheat pasta ranges are traditional wheat pasta, organic whole wheat pasta and organic traditional wheat pasta.  In addition, there’s an excellent gluten free range of pasta and a range of pasta shapes made with legumes and cereals which are perfect for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet without compromising on taste, also gluten free.

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

Taste of Christmas Tagliatelle

This recipe was originally created for a feature with Kitchen Conversations. It was a festive inspired pasta dish, using some of the flavours and foods I love at Christmas, from soft, creamy blue cheese like dolce latte, to crispy pancetta and a twist of cranberry sauce!

Taste of Christmas Tagliatelle

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Nutrition: 757 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 75g chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
• 75g dolce latte cheese cut roughly into pieces
• 150g - 175g tagliatelle (homemade tagliatelle tastes best!)
• 4 slices of pancetta
• 2 tbsps creme fraiche
• 100ml white wine (optional)
• 1 tsp cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Pancetta and breadcrumbs If you want to save on washing up I recommend doing this at the start of the dish so you can use the same pan (drain any fat after cooking the pancetta), alternatively use a second frying pan and cook alongside the sauce, and pasta.

1. Add a splash of olive oil in a pan and on a high heat, add the breadcrumbs and cook for 2 minutes until toasted (you can also add finely chopped rosemary or thyme). Put to one side in a small bowl.
2. Fry the pancetta until crispy and place to one side on a plate.

Tagliatelle and sauce

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta (you can use dried, fresh or homemade!)
2. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to a pan on a low heat, add the finely sliced red onions and cook, gently moving around the pan for about 5 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the mushrooms. Once they start to soften add the white wine (or a splash of pasta water) and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. On a low heat, add the dolce latte and creme fraiche to the pan, and stir to create a creamy sauce.
5. Allow the sauce to gently simmer.
6. While preparing the sauce, cook your pasta until al dente.
7. Add 1 tsp of cranberry to the sauce and stir in. If you can get a cranberry sauce with orange, and/or port added to it, it will add that extra festive twist (Tracklements and Stokes do ones like these)
8. Drain your pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, don’t worry if there is a little bit of pasta water still with the pasta, this will help make the sauce even creamer and cling to the pasta.
9. Stir the pasta into the sauce, and plate up.
10. Top with the pancetta and breadcrumbs for a delicious finishing touch.

One Pot Pasta with Garofalo

This easy recipe is perfect for a mid week meal with very little washing up! Using some simple ingredients and a kick of chilli, this fiery tomato sauce combines with Casarecce Pasta from Garofalo beautifully. Top with Mozzarella for a creamy, cheesy finish or use a vegan alternative.

This recipe can be made suitable for both vegans and vegetarians.

One Pot Pasta with Garofalo

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2-3 | Nutrition: 723 calorioes per portion (based on 2 servings)

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Ingredients

• 200g Casarecce Garofalo Pasta
• 200g Passata
• 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Onion
• 100g spinach or kale, chopped
• 1 small courgette or 60g mushrooms, quartered
• Olive Oil
• Chilli flakes / Fresh chilli / 15g nduja paste or 1 tbsp nduja pesto
• Dried herbs like Italian mixed, oregano, basil
• 1 ball of mozzarella cheese

• Fresh basil

• If you would like to add meat to this dish I would suggest two sausages, skinned

Method

Use a large casserole dish or saucepan suitable for the hob

1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the saucepan/casserole dish, and slowly cook the diced onion for five minutes, along with one red chilli, finely chopped, plus 1 tsp of dried herbs. If you’re adding sausages add these now.

2. Next add your chopped spinach/kale and courgette or mushrooms, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Then add your chilli flakes or nduja, a splash of white wine(optional), stir

4. Add 200ml of passata, 300ml of chicken stock, add the pasta and stir. If you’re using mozzarella to top your pasta bake, reserve the water and you can also add this with the stock.

5. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer put the lid on. Stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes, if it starts to look a little dry add a splash of water.

6. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, turn off the heat and tear or slice the mozzarella on top. Replace the lid for a few minutes to allow it to start to slowly soften and melt into the sauce. Season with pepper, top with basil leaves and serve.

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. 

Garofalo pasta has a rough porous surface due to the dough passing through a bronze die to form each shape, allowing the sauce to stick and absorb into the cooked pasta for the perfect mouthful of pasta and sauce! 

Within their wheat pasta ranges are traditional wheat pasta, organic whole wheat pasta and organic traditional wheat pasta.  In addition, there’s an excellent gluten free range of pasta and a range of pasta shapes made with legumes and cereals which are perfect for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet without compromising on taste, also gluten free.

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

Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese recipe can really easily be adapted to add your own favourite ingredients, which I’ve given options for in the ingredients. Mix it up to include things you love, or simple ingredients you have at home.

I’ve been making variations of macaroni cheese for years now, trialling different methods and variations of ingredients, but this is the winner for me. My favourite is using truffle oil, pancetta, porcini mushrooms and topping with coppa; it combines all of my favourites. I’m also a sucker for cauliflower cheese so sometimes I like to add this in too.

Make it your own Mac and Cheese

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10-15 minutes | Serves: 3 - 4 | Nutrition: 629 calorioes per portion (based on 4 servings)

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Ingredients

For the cheese sauce

• 1tbsp truffle oil or other flavoured oil (optional)
• 50g butter
• 50g flour
• 500ml milk
• 100g cheddar, grated
• Salt and pepper

For the pasta

• 250g macaroni or other short pasta

Optional ingredients

• 70g diced pancetta
• 100g mushrooms or 15g porcini mushrooms (soaked)
• Broccoli / Cauliflower / Spinach /

For finishing

• 25g breadcrumbs
• Coppa slices (optional) for finishing
• Parmesan for grating
• Fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. In an oven dish approx 15cm x 25cm, spread out the pancetta and allow to cook in the oven for five minutes. If you are adding fresh mushrooms, once some of the fat has started to come out, add the mushroom and give a stir in the juice and return to the oven for another 10 minutes while the pancetta continues to cook. Once the pancetta is browning remove from the oven.

3. While that is cooking, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Salt the water and add your pasta. If you’re adding cauliflower of broccoli, add small florets to the pasta water and cook all together. If you’re using fresh spinach, steam this over the pasta at the same time.

4. While the pasta is cooking, on a low heat melt the butter, add the truffle oil and then add the flour and quickly whisk to make a roux. It will turn into a buttery brown paste. Add half of the cold milk and whisk together and increase the heat a little. Keep adding a little milk and gently whisking, to allow the sauce to thicken. As it thickens, add the cheese and continue to stir until a consistency of double cream. Season with salt and pepper.

5. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta (and any cauliflower/broccoli), try to reserve a little pasta water so you can easily move around the dish with the pancetta to combine.

6. If you have added cauliflower I recommend returning to the pasta pan first and mashing lightly with a masher before adding to the baking dish.

7. Add the pasta to the baking dish. If you’re using steamed spinach or porcini mushrooms, add these now.

8. Then pour over the cheese sauce and combine together.

9. Top with breadcrumbs, and I like to top with some coppa that will crisp up in the oven. Finally finish with a grating of parmesan and some fresh herbs.

10. Put into the oven for 10-15 minutes until browning on top, you can always increase the heat to 200 degrees for the last 5 minutes.

11. Serve with a simple side salad.

Bucatini and Meatballs

Bucatini & Meatballs

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Makes: 16 meatballs / Serves 4 | Nutrition: 684 calories per serving

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For the meatballs (makes 16)

You can freeze half the meatballs before cooking if you prefer and halve the pasta quantity for two people

• 200g beef mince
• 200g pork mince
• 35g breadcrumbs (soak in a little milk if particulalry coarse)
• 1tsp oregano
• 1tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a pestle and mortar (optional)
• 20g Parmesan, grated
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce

• ½ white onion, finely sliced
• Garlic clove, finely chopped
• ¼tsp Chilli flakes (optional)
• 400g Garofalo chopped tomatoes
• Olive Oil

For the pasta

• 360g Garofalo Bucatini Pasta - Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
2. In a bowl, add your mince, breadcrumbs, herbs, parmesan and salt and pepper. Lightly mix everything together using a fork or your hands.
3. Then add your beaten egg and mix together again.
4. With wet hands (or a little olive oil), roll the meatballs into medium sized balls (golf ball size) and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
5. The mixture should make approximately 16 meatballs so either cook them all or freeze half to use another time.
6. Place the meatballs in the oven, on a middle shelf for 20 minutes. You don’t need to turn them.
7. While the meatballs are cooking make your sauce, add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil to the pan (at least 2tbsps), add your onion, season with a little salt and cook on a low heat for five minutes.
8. Then add your garlic and chilli flakes (if adding) and cook for a minute moving around the pan with a spoon before adding the tomatoes. Don’t forget to rinse the can with a little water and add to your sauce. If you have some parmesan rind in the fridge add this now too.
9. Leave to simmer on a low heat while the meatballs cook, stirring occasionally.
10. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, season with salt.
11. Once the meatballs are ready, add the meatballs to the sauce and gently coat in the sauce. Leave on a low heat, stirring occasionally (add a splash of pasta water if it starts to dry up too much).
12. Once you’ve added the meatballs cook your pasta until al dente.
13. If the sauce looks ready, it should be nice and thick and clinging to the meatballs turn the heat off for the last 5 minutes while the pasta cooks and cover with a lid.
14. Once the pasta is ready, for ease, I choose to remove the meatballs from the pan and place in a bowl while I coat the pasta in the sauce (don’t forget to remove the parmesan rind if you added it too!). Add the pasta to the pan and mix together so the pasta is coated in the lovely sauce.
15. Serve the pasta into bowls, top with the meatballs and any excess sauce, and serve with grated parmesan.

More about Garofalo Pasta

Garofalo has been making paasta 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 their artisan knowledge with modern technology to make what they consider the best possible pasta.  Reviews show that their customers also recognise the premium quality of Garofalo  pasta and make it their pasta of choice over other pasta brands due to the quality, range of products and diversity of shapes available.

What makes Garofalo so good

Their premium Italian Wheat pasta 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. 

Garofalo pasta has a rough porous surface due to the dough passing through a bronze die to form each shape, allowing the sauce to stick and absorb into the cooked pasta for the perfect mouthful of pasta and sauce! 

Within Garofalo wheat pasta ranges are traditional wheat pasta, organic whole wheat pasta and organic traditional wheat pasta.  In addition, they have a gluten free range of pasta and a range of pasta shapes made with legumes and cereals which is perfect for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet without compromising on taste, also gluten free.

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 we make Garofalo pasta and the precise choices we take in making our pasta.

Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Oven Baked Arancini

Arancini, this delightful snack that holds its place in Italian cuisine as Sicilian street food. A ball of risotto rice, seasoned and flavoured and stuffed with cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and traditionally deep fried. 

Don’t get me wrong, traditional in this instance would always be my preferred option. As in straight from a street vendor or served up in a rustic trattoria with all the love and passion of an Italian poured into it. However, failing having either option on my doorstep I decided it was time I made some myself.

Great recipe for leftover risotto

I’ve been making extra risotto every time now so I can make arancini with the leftovers. I started by frying them, which gave an amazing true to style texture and finish but I’m not a fan of frying, and I don’t have a fryer so I decided surely I could make something equally delicious by oven baking them. After several attempts I have perfected the method which I will share with you here.

What type of risotto to use for arancini

Sausage and Tomato Risotto makes a great arancini

I have tried this with various risottos, from lemon and mascarpone to asparagus and pea, and sausage and tomato – all work in my opinion it just depends what your reference is, the key is to not make anything with large pieces of veg or meat in, you want a smooth finish. I’ve also tried different cheeses but mozzarella remains my favourite, you can’t beat the texture and flavour of mozzarella as it combines with the rice with the first mouthful you take.

Serve arancini as a snack or starter

And finally arancini can be served straight up as a finger food snack or as part of a sharing platter, but I also love serving them with a smooth tomato sauce as a starter.

There’s no real need for measurements, but this will easily be enough to finish 12 golf ball sized arancini, which is about 150 - 200g of cooked risotto.

Oven Baked Arancini

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Makes: 12 | Nutrition: 136 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 50g breadcrumbs, I have been using Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2-3 tbsp of Filippo Berio Mild and Light Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200g cooked risotto (follow my recipe for sausage and tomato which makes a delicious filling)
• ½ ball of Mozzarella, diced

Method

1. I recommend washing your hands, and leaving them wet for this process. Before you start have your flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates and your egg beaten in a small bowl.

2. Pour the Filippo Berio Light and Mild Olive Oil onto the breadcrumbs and toss together so they are coated in the oil. Start with 2tbsp and add a little more if required, it just needs to be a light dressing of oil on to coat them, you don’t want them swimming in oil.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (fan oven).

4. Using a teaspoon, take a tsp of risotto rice and place in the palm of your hand, loosely shape the base into a ball.

5. Place a piece of diced mozzarella in the middle and then take another teaspoon of cooked risotto and shape around the mozzarella, ensuring the mozzarella is pushed into the middle so the risotto surrounds.

6. With your wet hands, roll into a golf sized ball shape like you would a meatball (see video).

7. Then roll the risotto ball in the flour to give it a light dusting.

8. Dip the risotto ball into the beaten egg.

9. Finally, roll the risotto ball in the breadcrumbs and then place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

10. Repeat the process for each arancini. Once they are all made you can choose to refrigerate until you are ready to cook or put straight into the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown, and crispy.

11. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving, either on their own or with a tomato sauce.

Top tip: Make sure the mozzarella is firmly in the middle of the risotto, and surrounded by the rice otherwise it will ooze out of the filling.

For a smooth tomato sauce

This is one to make and then use the rest of the sauce for pasta or freeze for a later date:

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced

• 1 tsp dried herbs, basil, oregano, Italian mixed whatever you’ve got!

• 1 tin plum tomatoes

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  Add your oil to the pan and on a low heat cook your onions for at least 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

  Add the garlic, and dried herbs, followed by your tomatoes.

  Allow to simmer on a low heat for at least 15 minutes. Breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon as they start to break down.

  Remove from the heat and transfer the sauce to a blender. Blitz for 30 seconds until smooth. Add some fresh basil if you have some.

  Add a tablespoon or two to a plate and place two arancini on top for a starter.

  Save the rest of the sauce for a quick and easy pasta dinner, it can also be frozen. 

Sausage and Tomato Risotto

This risotto recipe is a melt in the mouth, bowl of comfort! Usually when I make risotto I go straight for my favourites; porcini mushroom, seafood or a light, lemony combo with spring and summer veg, but I decided to make something different for a change. This sausage and tomato risotto combines fennel and rosemary to pair with the pork sausage, and uses tinned tomatoes with stock for added flavour. I also thought this style of risotto would make a great base for my oven baked arancini. 

This recipe makes enough for four people or serves 2 with enough spare for 10-12 arancini.

Sausage and Tomato Risotto

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Nutrition: 561 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 350g arborio or carnaroli risotto rice
• 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 small glass of white wine (optional)
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 pork sausages, skinned
• 1-2 tsp of fennel seeds, crushed (add to taste)
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 50g butter
• Parmesan / pecorino

Instructions

1. Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan on a low heat and cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they are softening.

2. Next add your sausage, break it up as you add it to the pan and add the fennel and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break the sausage into much smaller pieces, so as it cooks with the rice and stock it becomes more like ground mince. Cook for a further five minutes.

3. Once the sausage has started to lightly brown, add the risotto rice and stir to combine and coat the rice in the oil from the pan so it turns translucent.

4. If adding, add a glass of white wine (about 150ml). Stir the ingredient and once the wine has been absorbed, add a ladleful of stock along with a quarter of the tin of tomatoes.

5. Increase the heat a little and allow to cook while gently stirring as it simmers, with a gentle bubble.

6. Once all the stock and tomatoes are absorbed add two ladles of stock and a ¼ of the tin of tomatoes each time is absorbed, repeat this while stirring almost constantly.

7. This process should take about twenty minutes, you may need to add some more stock or water until the risotto is cooked to al dente - want it to have a little bite.

8. Remove from heat, add the cubed butter and grate a generous amount of hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino on top. Stir to combine and place a lid on the saucepan to allow everything to relax for a few minutes before serving.

9. Serve with a grating of hard cheese or if you’re feeling indulgent top with creamy burrata.

Stuffed Pasta Shells | Spinach & Ricotta Lumaconi

This recipe for stuffed pasta shells makes the perfect lunch or dinner for all seasons. Serve it up with a side salad of rocket and tomato or on its own with warm crusty bread to mop up the tomato sauce. 

I had a craving for these beautiful shells. I love the way they can be stuffed and then nestled snuggly into a tomato sauce. Where the sauces oozes into the gaps between and around the rims of the shells and are then baked with a layer of parmesan, and you get those crisp, crunchy bits of the shells poking out, you know like those crispy bits of lasagne that everyone wants!

Prep ahead

You can easily prep this dish ahead of time and just finish off in the oven when you’re ready to serve. Just follow the steps and before adding the grated parmesan, cover and leave to one side or place in the fridge (depending how long you’re leaving it for).

Stuffed Pasta Shells | Spinach & Ricotta Lumaconi

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15-20 minutes | Serves: 3-4 | Nutrition: 486 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• 250g Lumaconi pasta shells
• 250g Ricotta
• 70 – 100g spinach, finely chopped (wilt in a pan if fresh or if using frozen defrost and squeeze out the excess water)
• 700g of passata or two tins of chopped/plum tomatoes (400g each)
• 1-2 garlic cloves (to taste), finely sliced
• 40g parmesan
• Nutmeg
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

Preheat a fan oven to 280 degrees

1. In a pan, add a good glug of olive oil, add your garlic on a low heat. If you want to add chilli flakes for a little heat, add these now too. As the garlic starts to sizzle in the pan add your tomatoes.

2. Allow to simmer on a low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Bring a pan of water to the boil and salt it, then add your lumaconi and cook for approximately 10 minutes so the pasta doesn’t lose its shape.

3. While the pasta is cooking mix your spinach, ricotta and 20g of grated parmesan to a bowl. Grate some whole nutmeg (about a quarter) into the mixture and season with salt. Mix together, and with a clean spoon have a taste to check your seasoning.

4. I use frozen spinach, so I defrost it, squeeze out any excess water and finely chop.

5. Once your pasta is ready, drain the pasta and leave it to cool in the colander. Turn the heat off the tomato sauce, tear in some fresh basil and then spread half of the sauce on the base of an oven dish.

6. Using a piping bag, or you can use a teaspoon, but from experience a piping bag is much easier! Gently fill each shell with a squeeze of the ricotta mixture and place in the oven dish nestled in the sauce.

7. Once you have filled them all, gently spoon over the rest of the sauce filling any gaps around the wholes and forming a little layer on top. Then top with grated parmesan. You could also add mozzarella or cheddar on top if you want it a little cheesier.

8. Place the dish in the oven for ten minutes, after ten minute you may want to add a little more cheese and then turn the oven up to 200degrees and bake for a further 5-10 minutes.

9. Serve on its own or with some nice chunky bread and a side salad of rocket and tomato.

Orzo Pasta Salad

When it comes to summer dishes pasta salads are an essential for me. Whenever we have a BBQ I can guarantee you there will be a pasta salad on the side, along with other essentials like potato salad, veggie kebabs and so on.

What is orzo?

Orzo still isn’t that well used in the UK but it’s a great pasta for a range of dishes, whether it’s to accompany meatballs, soups or for exactly this, a pasta salad. It’s not to be confused with risotto which is rice, Orzo is made with durum wheat semolina and water, but it can be cooked in a similar style to risotto, which makes it great for one pot dishes.

Perfect for a BBQ side dish

This orzo pasta salad recipe can be enjoyed on its own, with meat and fish or even stuffed into peppers.

Orzo Pasta Salad | Sundried tomatoes, mozzarella and olives

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6 people as a side | Nutrition: 353 calories per serving

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Ingredients

• Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fillipo Berio Red Wine Vinegar
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 200g orzo
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• Handful of sundried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
• 100g Spinach
• 150g Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsps Black olives, sliced
• 1 ball of Mozzarella (keep the mozzarella water)
• Fresh basil / dried herbs

Instructions

1. Add some Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a pan and on a low heat cook your finely sliced shallots for a couple of minutes. Season with a little salt and some dried herbs if you have them.
2. Add the mozzarella water and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Then add your orzo and 250ml of boiling water, allow to simmer for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring.
4. After 5 minutes add another 150ml of boiling water and you can add frozen spinach at this point (make sure you have defrosted and squeezed out any excess water).
5. After another 3 minutes, add a final 50-100ml of water to finish cooking your orzo so it’s al dente and has a creamy finish.
6. Turn the heat off, add your olives and sundried tomatoes and leave to cool while you make your dressing.
7. To make the dressing add 2tbsps of Filippo Berio Red Wine Vinegar, the juice of one small lemon and 6 tbsps of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mix together to create a dressing and drizzle over the orzo, stir to combine.
8. Add your tomatoes.
9. Once cooled, transfer to a serving bowl and place in the fridge for about an hour to allow all the flavours to come together.
10. When you’re ready to serve, add your mozzarella, tear fresh basil over the top, and finish with a drizzle of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I’d love to see if you recreate this dish so please tag @CookingCarafes and @FilippoBerio and we’ll share them.

This is part of a paid for collaboration with Filippo Berio during the Covid-19 Crisis.  

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Mafalda Corta with pancetta, porcini and borlotti beans

There is something very comforting about this pasta recipe, and has become a new weekly favourite for me. It uses some of my some store cupboard favourites, including porcini mushrooms which I love for their earthy, rich flavour. This helps to add to the depth of flavour with the stock, and the Garofalo Pasta becomes silky with the sauce and the borlotti beans add another layer of texture and flavour.

This type of pasta, Malfada originates from Naples, and is more traditionally served with chick peas. It’s usually found as a longer ribbon shape with ruffled sides, but as the name corta suggests these shapes from Garofalo are shorter but with the same ruffled edge.

This recipe can also be adapted to be vegan.

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Mafalda Corta with pancetta, porcini and borlotti beans

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients:

• 150g Garofalo Malfada Corta
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 200g borlotti beans
• 75 diced pancetta (optional)
• 15g porcini mushrooms, soaked and roughly chopped (keep the water)
• 200ml chicken or vegetable stock (homemade if you can but not essential)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hard cheese like parmesan for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat some olive oil in the pan and cook your pancetta on a medium heat for minutes.
2. Reduce the heat and add the onion, celery and carrot, season with a little salt and cook for about 7 minutes. Keep them moving in the pan until the vegetables are soft.
3. Add the already soaked porcini mushrooms and the reserved porcini mushroom water (be careful not to add the last gritty bit of water). If you want to add a splash of white wine too.
4. Allow to simmer before adding the borlotti beans and 100ml of warm stock.
5. Bring the pasta water to the boil and begin to cook the Garofalo Malfada Corta.
6. While the pasta is cooking add the remaining stock to the pan and allow to simmer.
7. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add to the pan. You could always grate in a little parmesan (or veggie alternative) at this stage.
8. Combine together and serve.

We’d love to see if you make any of my lockdown recipes with Garofalo. Tag @GarofaloPastaUK and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them.

This is part of a paid for collaboration with Pasta Garofalo.

Cappelletti with Blue Cheese, Spinach, Broccoli and Green Beans

This lovely little pasta from Garofalo is called Cappelletti, it’s the perfect shape for a creamy sauce. Cappelletti means little hats and you will often find fresh egg pasta shapes like these in Romagna cuisine and filled. Garofalo have created this fabulous dried cappelletti version with high-quality durum wheat semolina and water and are just waiting to be coated in a delicious pasta sauce.

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Cappelletti with Blue Cheese, Spinach, Broccoli and Green Beans

Cooking Time 15 min

Serves 2 people

Ingredients

• 150g Garofalo Cappelletti
  
• 50g frozen spinach, defrosted and sliced
  
• 3 Broccoli florets or long stemmed broccoli (chop the stalk), frozen
• 90g green beans, chopped into 2cm pieces
• ½ courgette (optional), sliced and quartered
• 75g dolcelatte cheese
• 80ml of pasta water
• 1 tsp dried herbs such as oregano
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hard cheese like parmesan for serving (optional)
  

Instructions

1. Bring your pasta water to the boil, salt the water, and add your cappelletti.
2. Heat at least 1 tbsp of olive oil on a low heat, add your courgettes to the pan and season with a little salt and some dried herbs such as oregano. If you're not using courgette, add the olive oil and spinach at step 4.
3. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add the broccoli and green beans.
4. Next add the spinach to the pan, the pasta water, and then add the dolcelatte. Allow to simmer on a low heat.
5. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain with the vegetables and add to the pan.
6. Combine together and allow the sauce to combine with the pasta and thicken a little, if you wish add some grated parmesan at this point and combine together and serve.

We’d love to see if you make any of my lockdown recipes with Garofalo. Tag @GarofaloPastaUK and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them.

This is part of a paid for collaboration with Pasta Garofalo.

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Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce with Garofalo

This traditional arrabbiata pasta sauce is a real store cupboard basic to make. It’s traditionally made using dried chilli flakes but if you have fresh or frozen you can use those too. This dish is perhaps more typically served with Penne but as part of this lockdown series of recipes with Pasta Garofalo we’re trying to demonstrate how you can use what you have to still make delicious dishes and this one will not disappoint!

Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce with Garofalo

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients:

• 150g Garofalo Tagliatelle or a Garofalo pasta shape you have like bucatini, rigatoni, spaghetti, penne, the list goes on
• 1-2 garlic cloves (to taste), finely chopped
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (you can adjust depending on how hot you like it!)
• 200g passata / chopped tomatoes / tinned tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried herbs such as basil, Italian mixed herbs, oregano or fresh basil if you have it
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Hard cheese like parmesan for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat at least 1 tbsp of olive oil on a low heat, add your garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown, this will result in a bitter taste.
2. Once it’s sizzling, add your tomatoes and allow to simmer on a low heat. If you have dried herbs add these now (about ½ tsp), and season with a little salt.
3. While the sauce is simmering cook your Garofalo Pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water
4. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with a splash of pasta water.
5. Combine together and serve.
6. Grate a little parmesan (or other hard cheese) over the top.

I also had a few slices of bread with my dish to mop up all the delicious sauce at the end. This is an Italian tradition called scarpetta  ‘fare la scarpetta’ which is wher you wipe a plate clean using a piece of bread to mop up the delicious sauce or juices that remain on your plate!

We’d love to see if you make any of my lockdown recipes with Garofalo. Tag @GarofaloPastaUK and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them.

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This is part of a paid for collaboration with Pasta Garofalo.  

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Homemade Spaghetti Hoops with Garofalo Anelli Siciliani

Spaghetti hoops are a childhood favourite of mine, I always preferred them to baked beans which in hindsight kind of makes sense with my love pasta! When Garofalo sent me some of their Anelli Siciliani this had to be my recipe of choice for this shape. It’s perfect comfort food and a one pot pan job, plus it’s an easy recipe for lunchtimes with the kids, a side to sausages or even a breakfast option!

This is a great recipe for kids and you can always portion up and put in the fridge/freezer for use the next day or another week. If you make this easy lunch recipe we’d love to see, whether it’s for your kids or you’re just a big kid! Tag @GarofaloPastaUK and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them.

Spaghetti Hoops with Garofalo Anelli Siciliani

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cooking time: 25 minutes
• Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 slices of toast (more if serving up for kids or using as a side)

Ingredients:

• 150g Garofalo Anelli Siciliani
• ¼ onion, finely chopped
• 150g tinned tomatoes / passata
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 400ml of boiled water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Buttered toast
• Cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add 1tbsp olive oil to a pan and on a low heat slowly cook the finely chopped onions to the pan. These will help bring a little sweetness to the dish. Add a little bit of salt and cook for about 3 minutes, or until soft.
2. Add the tomato puree and paprika and stir to combine with the onions.
3. Add your pasta and water, and bring to the boil.
4. Allow to cook on a low heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure you stir the pasta every few minutes to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan as it is less water than cooking pasta normally.
5. After 10 minutes add your chopped tomatoes tor passata to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and rinse your tomato can or dish with a little water and add to the pan. Leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. Again stir every couple of minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick.
6. After ten minutes check to see how the hoops are cooked. I prefer to cook mine for another 5 minutes. If your sauce is looking quite thick and drying out add another splash of water (about 100ml) and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.
7. While it’s cooking for the final few. Minutes, toast your bread and butter it.
8. Serve the Garofalo Anelli Siciliani on the toast.
9. For me, ‘spaghetti hoops’ aren’t complete without a little cheese so either sprinkle some parmesan, cheddar or your cheese of choice on top!

This is part of a paid for collaboration with Pasta Garofalo.  

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Garofalo Pasta and Aubergine Sauce

With most of the world on lockdown I know it’s harder to get lots of ingredients and perhaps cook the meals you normally would. So I’ve teamed up with Garofalo Pasta to bring you some easy recipes using very few ingredients and store cupboard basics. I’m starting off this series of recipes with tagliatelle and aubergine sauce. Why? Because I had an aubergine that needed using up and the rest of the ingredients I had in the cupboard.

We’d love to see if you make this easy recipe during lockdown and the Covid-19 crisis. Tag @GarofaloPastaUK and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them 🥰🍝 

Garofalo Pasta and Aubergine Sauce

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 25 minutes

• Total time: 35 minutes

  Servings: 2 - 3 people

Ingredients:

• 200g Garofalo pasta (use whatever you have)
• 1 aubergine, halved and cut into wedges
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 400g tinned tomatoes
• 1tsp dried herbs such as bail, Italian mixed herbs, oregano, thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hard cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients as listed. Toss your aubergine in some salt to bring out some of the water.
2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, cook the aubergine on a high heat for five minutes, keep the aubergine moving in the pan so it all cooks evenly. The skin and flesh should both start to soften.
3. Lower the heat, add a glug of olive oil and add the red onion.
4. Continue to stir and after 2-3 minutes the onion should start to soften. Add your 1tsp of dried herbs and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add your tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer. To save any waste, rinse your tomato can with a little water and add to the pan. If you have any fresh basil, tear in a few leaves now.
6. While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente. If your sauce starts to look a little dry add a splash of pasta water.
7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain but save a little pasta water.
8. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and add a splash of the pasta water to get a silky smooth sauce.
9. Serve. Grate a little hard cheese on top if you wish. (did you know you can freeze cheese to save on waste?)

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This is part of a paid for collaboration with Pasta Garofalo.  

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Farfalle with basil pesto, feta and organic sunflower seeds

I love toasted seeds, they add texture and flavour to dishes, they are such a simple addition that is often overlooked. Because we’re a nut free household ingredients such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds are a great substitute. 

For this easy recipe I’ve used organic sunflower seeds from Buy Whole Foods Online, these were gifted to me to create recipes just like these!

I’ve also made my own fresh pasta but you can just as easily use dried pasta, I recommend farfalle, often referred to as bows but it actually translates to butterfly. These are perfect for a pesto based sauce, but you could also make with penne or fusilli.

Farfalle with basil pesto, feta and organic sunflower seeds

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp Buy Whole Foods Online Organic Sunflower Seeds
• 1tsp of pesto (follow the recipe for my nut free pesto)
• 150 - 200g dried or fresh farfalle pasta
• 150g spinach
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 40g feta cheese
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, add the organic sunflower seeds to a small oven dish and drizzle in a little olive oil or olive oil spray. Cook for 15 minutes until lightly toasted.
2. If using dried pasta begin cooking this first and cook as per packet instructions.
3. While the pasta cooks add 1tbsp of olive oil to a pan on a low heat and add the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Add the garlic to the pan for one minute and stir.
5. Add the spinach to the pan and let it wilt. Stir all the ingredients together.
6. If using fresh farfalle cook this now for 2-3 minutes until al dente.
7. Add the pasta to the pan, along with a splash of pasta water and the pesto. Stir together.
8. Serve the pasta and top with the sunflower seeds and crumble the feta on top

Don’t forget to share your recipe recreations on social, tag @cookingcarafes and @buywholefoodsonline. Find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta Sauce

This recipe for a creamy mushroom pasta sauce works well with different types of pasta shapes. It’s a warming dish that oozes flavour using very basic ingredients. The best bit is it’s also really quick to make.

The silky smooth sauce works well with farfalle, tagliatelle, sorprese or even penne, but as always use what you have! I’m all for reducing your food waste and substituting ingredients, for example if you don’t have chestnut mushrooms, use what you have! As always if you want to make this for more people double up the ingredients.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10-15 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

• ¼ onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 40g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 5g porcini mushrooms, soaked for at least 10 minutes and finely chopped
• 50ml white wine
• 75ml double cream
• 20g parmesan, finely grated
• 1tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 150-175g pasta of your choice

Instructions

1. Depending on the pasta you are using, you may want to start cooking this as you begin the sauce. If you’re using dried pasta that takes about 10 minutes to be cooked al dente, start it at the same time you start the sauce.
2. Add a tbsp of olive oil to your pan, and on a low heat cook the onions for 5 minutes, I also always add a little salt at this point. Then add the garlic and cook for a further minute or so. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn’t burn, if the onions need longer add a little splash of water until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the mushrooms and two thirds of the chopped parsley, at this point you may want to drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. After about 3 minutes, add a splash of the wine (about 25ml).
5. Briefly remove the pan from the heat while you add the double cream, keep stirring as you add it.
6. Put back on a low heat and season the sauce with a little pepper. If the sauce starts to thicken too quickly either briefly remove from the heat or add a splash of pasta water.
7. Add the parmesan and stir to combine.
8. Drain the pasta and add the pasta to the sauce. Stir to combine and serve with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley and a little extra parmesan if desired.

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If you’d like to make your own fresh pasta to pair with this sauce try my recipe for perfect pasta dough and start with something simple like pappardelle.

Beetroot Tagliatelle

When Buy Whole Foods Online asked me to try out some of their products and come up with some recipes one of the ingredients that stood out to me was their organic Beetroot Powder. I’ve made beetroot pasta dough before and the colour is amazing, so I wanted to see if Beetroot Powder had the same effect as the raw ingredient.  

I combined the egg with a tablespoon of beetroot powder and the colour and the smell was already looking good. Once added to the pasta flour initially the colour starts to dull, and you may need to add a little water but once you start kneading the colour really starts to come through and you left with a beautiful, dark, rich, purply red dough.

Here’s how I made it.

Beetroot powder and egg combined

Beetroot Tagliatelle

• Prep time: 30 – 40 minutes

Servings: 1 person (multiply for each person)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp of Buy Whole Foods Online Beetroot Powder
• 100g pasta flour / 00 flour

Instructions:

1. Blend the egg and beetroot powder together for about 30 seconds in a food processer.
2. Create a well in the middle of your pasta flour on a wooden board (or on a plate/bowl), pour the egg mixture into the middle of the pasta flour.
3. Combine the egg and pasta flour as you would usually for pasta dough. It will appear a little dryer than usual, I rinsed the pot I had the egg mixture in with a very small amount of water and added this to my mixture.
4. Start to combine with your hands and see if you think you need to add a little more water, I found the moisture began to come through as I started to bring it together. Don’t worry if it doesn’t pick up all the flour, you can just clear that to one side before you start to knead the dough.
5. Knead the dough for 5 – 10 minutes until you have a smooth and springy texture to your dough and the colour is a deep purple.
6. Wrap in a beeswax wrap (or cling film) and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
7. Then flatten your pasta dough with the palm of your hand into a rectangular shape ready to go through your pasta machine. You may need to dust with flour as it will be a little moist and keep dusting between rolls if it’s too ‘wet’. Roll the pasta out to setting 6 on your pasta machine. I ran through 1 and 2 a couple of times for mine to get a nice even dough.
8. Lightly dust with flour on both sides and then roll through the tagliatelle cutter on your machine or fold the pasta so you can cut with a knife into strands.
9. Cook the fresh tagliatelle for 4-5 minutes in salted boiling water it will lose some of it colour to the water but it still remains a gorgeous purple once cooked, and the beetroot flavour comes through, but not enough to be over powering.

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I’ll be sharing a sauce paired with this sauce soon so keep an eye on the blog.

If you try making this beautiful beetroot pasta don’t forget to tag @CookingCarafes and @buywholefoodsonline so we can see your creations!

You can buy the Beetroot Powder at Buy Whole Foods Online who gifted me this powder to create some recipes with.

I also used some of my tagliatelle to laminate pasta and make this gorgeous Garganelli 😍If you want to try making your own Garganelli follow my recipe.

Try using coloured pasta to create beautiful striped Garganelli shapes

Ragù filled Tortellini

This tortellini filled with a rich, slow cooked, flavoursome ragù are perfect for wintery days and nights and they make a fun activity for a rainy weekend too!

Tortellini

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, finely chopped

• 1 large carrot, finely chopped

• 500g beef mince

• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• Extra Virgin Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 100ml red wine

• 2 x 400g plum tomatoes / finely chopped tinned tomatoes

Method

1. Add 3 tbsps of olive oil your pan, ensure it covers the base, if it doesn’t add some more.

2. Add the finely chopped onion, celery and carrot to the olive oil and cook on a low heat. Add a pinch of salt, stir and then put the lid loosely on to allow the soffritto (the mix of onion, celery and carrot) to cook. Stir occasionally and ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom or burn. Cook for about ten minutes until it is soft but not burnt.

3. Add the rosemary and the mince and season with pepper and stir, increase the heat a little and allow the meat to brown.

4. Stir in the tbsp of tomato puree.

5. Then add the wine and on a medium heat, allow this to simmer with the meat.

6. Then add the tomatoes, I like to use one tin of plum tomatoes and one tin of finely chopped tomatoes but use what you have

7. Now allow the ragù to simmer on a low heat for at least an hour and a half. If it looks a little dry at any point add a splash of water. The ideal here is to cook slowly and for a long time to really allow the flavours to come together.

8. If you have a leftover parmesan rind I suggest adding towards the end when the sauce is looking a nice rich, thick consistency.

You want the sauce to be a nice thick consistency as you don’t want it to watery, as it won’t work when you fill the pasta. However, the key is you have to put the ragù into the fridge to allow to cool before filling your pasta. Ideally leave to cool over night, or at least three hours before filling the pasta.

This ragù will make more than enough to fill countless tortellini, I suggest you use what you need for your tortellini and freeze the remaining ragù for another day.

For the pasta (for two people)

• 200g pasta flour

• 2 eggs

Ratio of 1 egg to 100g flour per person

1. Create a well in in the flour on your wooden board

2. Crack the eggs into the middle

3. Lightly whisk the egg in the middle slowly combining the flour until it starts to form a sticky dough

4. Then get your hands stuck in and bring it together. Knead lightly for 5-10 minutes until you have a springy dough

5. Leave to rest for half an hour

6. When you’re ready roll, your pasta into thin sheets to about number 6 or 7 on your pasta machine

7. Cut your dough into squares using a knife, or if you’re feeling confident you can use a pastry cutter but I recommend starting with straight edged squares initially. If this is the first time you’re making tortellini I would start with a larger square approximately 4 x 4cm (once you’re confident reduce to 3 x 3cm) add 1/2 teaspoon of filling into the middle.

8. Then fold the pasta over the filling into a diamond.

9. Slowly seal the pasta around the filling so you have a triangle.

10. Then bring the two bottom points of the triangle together so they overlap and seal.

11. Try to ensure you have no air trapped in the tortellini and that they are sealed. properly. If you need to, use a very small amount of water to seal them, too much and they will go sticky and be no use. Just wet your finger and run round the edge before sealing.

12. Place the tortellini on a tea towel or pasta dryer while you prepare the others.

13. When you’re ready add the pasta to boiling water, add a little salt, and cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes.

14. There are many ways you can serve this pasta, either just with a drizzle of olive oil and some parmesan; a butter sauce perhaps with a little sage; or even with a white or tomato sauce. Take your pick and enjoy! I also like adding some breadcrumbs with finely chopped rosemary toasted in olive oil and adding as a finishing touch!

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Fusilli Tricolore

Tricolore pasta make any pasta salad look pretty, look at those colours! A combination of egg pasta, spinach and tomato make it not only oh so insta-worthy, but also full of flavour with the most simple of dressings. 

This recipe can be served hot or cold; as a main meal, or it works perfectly as a side for BBQs as part of a big sharing platter, or as part of a lunch. 

What I particularly noticed about this Garofalo pasta is how it held it’s fusilli shape and structure after cooking.

This recipe is great to prep ahead of time and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You can get creative with this and add more or less of what you fancy whether it’s tomatoes, or some green beans, cannellini beans - there’s lots of variations but I’ve kept this version relatively simple. 

Fusilli Tricolore

Servings: 4 - 6 people as a side

Ingredients:

• 300g Garofalo Fusilli Tricolore

• 1 - 2 courgettes

• 1 tsp Dried oregano

• 75g Feta

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper

• Mint

Instructions:

1. Slice the courgette into 1cm slices, place into an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Mix together with your hands so it’s all coated in the olive oil and seasoning.

2. Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees and cook for 25-30 minutes, until soft. Remove them from the oven and put them to one side.

3. Cook your Garofalo Fusilli Tricolore as per the packet instructions, until al dente.

4. While the pasta is cooking, in a small bowl mix together 3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the juice of a lemon, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

5. Pick and finely chop the leaves of a small sprig of mint.

6. Drain the pasta, and in a large bowl or saucepan, add the courgettes, mint and drizzle the dressing over all the pasta and toss together.

7. Finally, crumble the feta on top and season with a little black pepper.

8. Eat straight away or cover and place in the fridge ready for later!

Garofalo Fusilli Primavera

You can find out more about how Garofalo make their pasta and see their full range online. You can also stock up on Ocado or Amazon.

Keep up to date with my recipes and ideas, follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and sign up to my newsletter for all my latest recipes and events. Also look out for my competition to win a hamper of goodies from Garofalo!

This recipe is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta UK, they sent me a range of their pasta products to create recipes with.

Lemon, thyme and pork meatballs with Garofalo Orzo

Orzo is an underrated pasta in my opinion, in the UK anyway. It’s one I didn’t really cook with a lot in the past, but it’s actually quite a versatile type of pasta, traditionally used in soups and broths, it actually also works really well for lighter, summer dishes. 

Garofalo Quality 

For this recipe I’ve used Garofalo pasta, as I’m working with them to create a number of recipes to share with you all. Garofalo’s orzo is made from 100% durum wheat semolina, they pride themselves on the quality of the grains they use from Italy, USA and Australia - choosing wheat that contributes to the excellent quality of pasta by its colour, cleanliness and flavour.   

A few quick facts about Orzo 

• Orzo is Italian for ‘barley’, because its shape is similar to that of a barley grain.

• Traditionally used in broths and soups

• Works well as an alternative to risotto or as a pasta salad style dish

You’ll see on a lot of Garofalo’s pasta packaging ‘Bronze Die Cut’, this is referring to the method the shape is produced and it’s by passing the pasta dough through a bronze drawing (extruder)  to create the shape, creating a rougher surface and better quality pasta than when using a teflon version. In most instances this creates a higher quality pasta, that will hold its shape and sauce better than some other pastas. You’ll mainly notice this difference compared to supermarket own brand pastas where they tend to be produced using the teflon drawings as it’s quicker and cheaper. 

I know many people see pasta as a great quick, cheaper dish, which it of course can be and that is the beauty of it, but quality pasta makes a big difference to the overall meal. 

You can find out more about how Garofalo make their pasta and see their full range online. You can also stock up on Ocado or Amazon.

Meatballs and orzo ready to combine

Lemon, thyme and pork meatballs with Garofalo Orzo

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients:

This recipe is perfect for mid week and shouldn’t take longer than 45 minutes to make, the more you make it the easier it will become too, plus you can freeze any spare meatballs.

If you only want to make this dish for two I recommend making the full batch of meatballs and freezing half of them, then half the ingredients below.

For the meatballs

• 500g pork mince

• 1 egg, beaten

• 75g breadcrumbs

• Small bunch of fresh thyme (pick the leaves)

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Salt & Pepper

For the orzo

• 350g orzo

• 1 Courgette, thick slices, quartered

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock

• Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Start by making your meatballs in a bowl, combine the pork mince, breadcrumbs, half of the freshly picked thyme leaves, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper for seasoning, and mix together.

2. Add the beaten egg and combine together. With wet hands roll into meatballs, you should be able to make about 20 - 24 meatballs.

3. I find it easier to cook these in the oven while preparing the rest of the dish. Heat a fan oven to 180°C and cook for 20 minutes (you may want to turn them half way through).

4. While they’re in the oven finely chop an onion and slice your courgette into quarters. I like using yellow courgette with this dish but green works just as well.

5. Add some olive oil to a pan and slowly cook the onions, after 5 minutes add the courgette, season and cook for a further 5 minutes.

6. Add some more fresh thyme or some dried herbs (abour 1tsp) and then the orzo, stir in, and add half the stock.

7. Allow to simmer for ten minutes, add more stock as required, approximately 250ml.

8. Add the juice of one lemon, and more stock if required.

9. Add the meatballs and stir together.

10. Check the orzo is cooked, you should have a silky consistency and the pasta should be al dente.

11. Serve and top with some more fresh thyme.

Lemon, thyme and pork meatballs with orzo

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