First make the filling by placing all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blending everything on a low speed until thoroughly combined. If you don't have a processor, chop everything as finely as possible with a sharp knife and blend it with a fork.

Wrap in clingfilm and chill for about 30 minutes to firm up.

Next make the sauce by placing the milk, butter, flour, bay leaf, nutmeg and seasonings into a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat, then, whisking all the time, slowly bring it up to simmering point until the sauce has thickened.

Then turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaf, stir in the cream, taste to check the seasoning, cover and leave aside. 

Now pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C), then cut the lasagne sheets in half so that you have 16 pieces.

Next divide the meat mixture in half and then each half into 8, then lightly roll each of these into a sausage shape about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. Place each one on to a piece of lasagne and roll it up, starting from one of the shorter edges.

As you do this, arrange them in the baking dish with the join underneath – what you should have is two rows neatly fitting together lengthways in the dish. 

Now pour the sauce over and scatter the Mozzarella cubes here and there.

Finally, scatter the Parmesan over the top and place the dish on the centre shelf of the oven to bake for 40 minutes, by which time it should be golden brown and bubbling. 

Then remove it from the oven and let it settle for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Finally, sprinkle a little extra Parmesan over.

Start off by preparing the courgettes and aubergine an hour ahead of time: chop them into 1½ inch (4 cm) chunks, leaving the skins on, and layer them in a colander with a sprinkling of salt between each layer.

Then put a plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, which will draw out any excess moisture from the vegetables.

After an hour, squeeze then dry them in a clean tea cloth, then pre-heat the oven to its highest setting.

Now quarter the tomatoes and chop the onion and peppers into 1½ inch (4 cm) chunks. Next, arrange all the vegetables on the baking tray and sprinkle with the olive oil and chopped garlic. Give everything a good mix to coat all the pieces with the oil, then spread them out as much as possible.

Season with salt and freshly milled black pepper, then roast on a high shelf in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until browned and charred at the edges.

Now make the cheese sauce – place the milk, flour, butter and cayenne pepper into a medium saucepan and place it over a gentle heat. Then, using a balloon whisk, begin to whisk while bringing it to a gentle simmer. Whisk continually until you have a smooth glossy sauce, and simmer very gently for 5 minutes.

Then add the cheese and whisk again, allowing it to melt. Then season with salt, freshly milled black pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg.

Meanwhile, put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.  About 5 minutes before the vegetables are ready, cook the rigatoni in the boiling water for exactly 6 minutes – no longer. Drain the pasta in a colander, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and combine it with the roasted vegetables, olives, anchovies, capers and cheese sauce.

At this point turn the heat down to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C), leaving the door open to let it cool down a bit quicker.

Now layer the mixture into the gratin dish, a third at a time, sprinkling the Mozzarella over each layer and finishing with Mozzarella. Finally, sprinkle the mixture with the heaped tablespoon of Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for another 6 minutes, and serve very hot with just a leafy salad and a sharp dressing to accompany it.

If you want to make this ahead of time, it will need 35-40 minutes in the oven at gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C) to heat it through from cold.

First of all fill a large pan with warm water, add some salt and put it on the heat to bring it up to the boil.

While that’s happening put the onion into a mini-chopper and pulse till it is chopped small but not too finely. Now heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile add the garlic and jalapeno pieces to the mini-chopper and give them a few bursts before adding the roasted peppers to chop them with four to six more pulses (be careful not to chop them too finely).

Now add the pasta to the boiling water and put the timer on for 10 minutes. Add the chopped peppers, garlic and jalapeno to the onions in the pan, and continue to cook for a further 3 minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander then return it to the pan and stir in the onion mixture to get everything evenly distributed.

Divide the pasta between two warmed serving bowls, and serve it absolutely immediately with the basil scattered over and lots of grated pecorino to sprinkle on.

First of all you need to cook the pasta.

Always use a large cooking pot and make sure you have at least 4 pints (2.25 litres) of water for every 8 oz (225 g) of pasta and 1 level tablespoon of salt. Bring the water up to a good fierce boil before the pasta goes in and cook it for 8-12 minutes without a lid, until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of sardine oil in a small frying pan, fry the garlic and chilli for about 4 minutes, until softened, then add the tomatoes, sardines and capers and gently heat them through, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper.

When the pasta is ready, drain it into a colander, then quickly return it to the saucepan. Add the sauce, toss it around thoroughly for 30 seconds or so, then serve in hot pasta bowls with the torn basil sprinkled over.

Begin by putting the pasta on to cook.

Then, just heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and, when it is hot, add the garlic, chilli and some freshly milled black pepper. Cook these very gently for about 2 minutes, which will be enough time for the flavourings to infuse the oil.

When the pasta is cooked, return it to the saucepan after draining, then pour in the hot oil. Mix well, then serve straight away on warmed pasta plates.

First of all spread the frozen shellfish out on a large plate with a double sheet of kitchen paper, and leave to defrost for 1-1½ hours.

Then slice the scallops fairly thickly into rounds, about 5mm thick. Now heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-size pan and cook the shallots with the garlic and chilli gently for about five minutes. Meanwhile, pull the squid tentacles away from the body and keep them in the fridge until later. Then cut the squid into 1cm rings. After that add the wine to the shallots, turn up the heat and let it bubble and reduce for about 10 minutes until it has almost completely evaporated, then add the tomatoes and cook for five more minutes until they soften to a pulp. Season well before stirring in all the shellfish (except the tentacles), and remove from the heat.

Now make the béchamel by placing the milk, butter, flour, bay leaf, about ¼ nutmeg grated, mace and seasoning in a medium-size saucepan over a medium heat, then, whisking all the time, slowly bring it up to simmering point until the sauce has thickened. Then turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce simmer for about five minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Now you can assemble the lasagne, so spread a large spoonful of the béchamel over the base of the dish, then cover with sheets of lasagne, cutting them with scissors to fit the dish evenly, rather than overlapping them. Spread a third of the fish mixture over the pasta, followed by about a quarter of the remaining béchamel, then continue to layer everything, finishing off with a layer of pasta covered with the remaining béchamel sauce.

Bake the lasagne in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden-brown. When you remove it from the oven leave it to rest for 10 minutes, and while that’s happening heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a small frying-pan, then add the squid tentacles and garlic and sauté gently for two minutes. Stir in the parsley and some seasoning and sprinkle this mixture (and all the juices from the pan) over the top of the lasagne before serving.

Note If you don’t have a fishmonger the best way to acquire frozen shellfish is to ask at your supermarket fish counter. Also, if you want to prepare the lasagne a few hours in advance, make the tomato mixture and béchamel while the fish defrosts and make sure they are completely cold before assembling the lasagne.

Place the pasta in a pan with plenty of boiling salted water (with a few drops of oil added to prevent it sticking), and when the water has returned to the boil, cook for exactly 8 minutes.

Meanwhile you can be preparing the sauce: all you do is place the Gorgonzola cheese and ricotta or cottage cheese in the goblet of a liquidiser together with the garlic, cream and half a tablespoon of hot water. Season with salt and pepper then blend until completely smooth. When the tagliatelle is ready, drain it thoroughly in a colander, then return it immediately to the hot pan.

Add the olive oil, chopped pepper and spring onions plus a seasoning of salt and pepper, then toss well. Now spoon the cheese mixture into the pasta, toss again thoroughly then serve straight on to a hot plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

First, skin the tomatoes.

To do this, place them in a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over them and count 60 seconds. After that, pour off the water and slip off their skins (protecting your hands with a cloth if the tomatoes are hot). Roughly chop the tomatoes. Watch How to Skin Tomatoes here.

Next, dry-roast the cumin seeds in the frying pan for about a minute, until they become fragrant.

Now add the oil and when it’s hot, stir in the peppers, garlic and chillies and turn the heat down as low as possible.

Then cover and cook slowly for about 40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the peppers are really soft.

After that, add the tomatoes and the sun-dried tomato paste to the softened peppers.

Season and continue to cook, uncovered, over a highish heat, until the mixture is reduced and thickened slightly – about 5 minutes.

Next, keep the sauce warm and cook the pasta – for a minute less than the pack instructions advise. Then drain it and quickly return it to the hot pan, along with the sauce, and place it over a gentle heat. Watch How to Cook Perfect Pasta here

Stir, and continue to cook for about another minute, to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.

Serve straight away in hot bowls, garnished with the basil.

Nutritional information
Per serving: 459 kcal
Fat 4.1 g
Saturates 0.6 g
Protein 16.2 g
Carbohydrate 95.4 g

Roughly chop the tomatoes then heat the oil in the casserole, then add the onion and garlic and let them gently cook for 5-6 minutes, until they are softened and pale gold in colour. 


Now add the chopped tomatoes with about a third of the basil, torn into pieces. Add some salt and freshly milled black pepper, then all you do is give everything a good stir and let the tomatoes simmer on a very low heat, without a lid, for approximately 1½ hours – 1 ¾ hours or until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency, stirring now and then. 



Next use a hand blender to whizz the sauce, but not too much, and stir in the rest of the torn basil leaves, and serve on pasta, with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. When serving this sauce, it is a good idea to give the pasta 1 minute less cooking time than you usually would, then return it to the casserole after draining and give 1 more minute while you mix in the sauce.
 

First pop the porcini in a small bowl, then heat the milk, pour it over the mushrooms and leave them to soak for 30 minutes. Then heat the butter in a medium frying pan over a gentle heat, stir in the shallots and let them cook gently for 5 minutes.

Next, strain the porcini into a sieve lined with kitchen paper, reserving the soaking liquid, and squeeze the porcini dry. Then chop them finely and add them to the pan, along with the fresh mushrooms and the balsamic vinegar. 

Next, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Give it all a good stir, then cook gently, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated.

About 15 minutes before the mushrooms are ready, put the pasta on to cook (see How to Cook Perfect Pasta below). Then, 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked, mix the crème fraîche into the mushrooms with the soaking liquid, and warm through. 

Drain the pasta in a colander, return it to the hot pan and quickly mix in the mushroom mixture, then place the pasta back on a gentle heat so it continues to cook for 1 more minute while it absorbs the sauce. 

Take it to the table in a hot serving bowl and hand the Parmesan round separately.

How to cook perfect pasta

First of all place the aubergine cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with salt and leave them to stand for half an hour, weighed down with something heavy to squeeze out the excess juices.

Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them and leaving them for 1 minute, then drain off the water and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. You can also watch how to do this in our Cookery School Video on the right. Cut each tomato in half and place the halves on one of the baking trays (cut side uppermost), then season with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, distributing it evenly between the tomatoes, and follow this with a few drops of olive oil in each one.

Top each tomato half with half a basil leaf, turning each piece of leaf over to give it a good coating of oil. Now place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened.

Meanwhile, drain the aubergines and squeeze out as much excess juice as possible, then dry them thoroughly with a clean cloth and place them in the other baking tray.

Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over them and place them on the top shelf of the oven, above the tomatoes, giving them half an hour.

Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta, why not watch how to in our Cookery School Vidoe on the right? When the tomatoes and aubergines are ready, scrape them, along with all their lovely cooking juices, into a saucepan and place it over a low heat, then add the cubed Mozzarella and stir gently.

Now drain the pasta, pile it into a warm bowl, spoon the tomato and aubergine mixture over the top and scatter over a few basil leaves.

First of all take a large frying pan and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a medium heat and gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around from time to time.  You can also watch how to chop onions in the Cookery School Video on the right.

While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta: the best way to do this after opening the pack is to roll the contents into a sausage shape, then using a sharp knife, slice it lengthways into 4, then slice the lengths across as finely as possible. After 10 minutes, add this to the pan to join the onion, add the garlic and continue cooking the whole lot for about 5 minutes.

Now transfer this mixture to the casserole.

Then add ¾ tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan, turn up the heat to it highest then add the half of the minced beef and brown it, breaking it up and moving it round in the pan. Either with a wooden fork or a balloon whisk is really helpful here. When the beef is browned, tip it into the casserole to join the onions, then heat another ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and do exactly the same with the remaining minced beef followed by the minced pork, again in two batches. Transferring the browned meat to the casserole as you go.

Pre-heat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1.

Next place the casserole over the direct heat and give everything a really good stir, then add the tomatoes, sundried tomato paste, red wine and a really good seasoning of salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg and finally two rounded tablespoons of chopped basil. More stirring now, then allow this to come up to simmering point.

Then cover with a tight fitting lid and place the casserole in the centre of the oven and leave it to cook for 3 hours, removing the lid halfway through. What you should end up with is a thick, reduced concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left in it, taste to check the seasoning then stir in the remaining basil. When it’s completely cold divide it evenly into eight small polythene freezer bags.
 

Prepare the aubergine and courgettes ahead of time by cutting them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) dice, leaving the skins on. Then toss the dice in about a level dessertspoon of salt and pack them into a colander with a plate on top and a heavy weight on top of the plate.

Leave them on one side for an hour so that some of the bitter juices drain out.

After that, squeeze out any juices left, and dry the dice thoroughly in a clean cloth. Now arrange the tomatoes, aubergine, courgettes, peppers and onion in the roasting tin, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, basil and olive oil, toss everything around in the oil to get a good coating, and season with salt and pepper.

Now place the tin on the highest shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are toasted brown at the edges.

Meanwhile make the sauce by placing all the ingredients (except the cheese) in a small saucepan and whisking continuously over a medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Then turn the heat down to its lowest and let the sauce cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the grated Parmesan.

When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and stir in the chopped olives and the capers. Turn the oven down to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

Now, into the baking dish pour one quarter of the sauce, followed by one third of the vegetable mixture.

Then sprinkle in a third of the Mozzarella and follow this with a single layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat this process, ending up with a final layer of sauce and a good sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

Now place the dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden.

All this needs is a plain lettuce salad with a lemony dressing as an accompaniment.

First heat up the butter and oil in a large saucepan, then add the bacon and cook this for a minute or two before adding the onion, followed by the celery and carrots and then the tomatoes.

Now stir in the crushed garlic and some salt and pepper, then cover and cook very gently for 20 minutes or so to allow the vegetables to sweat – give it an occasional stir to prevent the vegetables sticking. Then pour in the stock along with the basil.

Bring to the boil and simmer gently (covered) for about 1 hour. After that add the leeks, cabbage and macaroni and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Finally stir in the tomato purée, cook for another 10 minutes and, just before serving, stir in the parsley.

Serve in warmed soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Begin by placing the porcini (broken into pieces) in a small saucepan, add the Marsala, bring up to simmering point, then take it off the heat and put on a timer for the porcini to soak for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and the same with the garlic. Then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide shallow pan, add the onions and let them cook over a lowish heat for about 10 minutes.  You can also watch how to prepare garlic and chop onions in our Cookery School Videos on the right.

While that’s happening, chop the chestnut mushrooms (through the stalk) into quarters and the larger mushrooms into six. After that add the garlic to the onion and cook, stirring it around, for a minute or two before adding the prepared fresh mushrooms. Stir and toss them around until they start to shrink, add some seasoning and let them cook very gently. Then, when the 30 minutes’ soaking time is up, add the porcini and Marsala and do some more tossing and stirring.

Continue to cook with the heat at medium for about 30–40 minutes, or until all the juices (of which there will be quite a lot) have evaporated. It could take a bit longer, but this will concentrate the flavour of the mushrooms beautifully.

Put a large pan of water on to boil and preheat the oven to 200°C.  Gas mark 6.

Meanwhile, make an all-in-one béchamel sauce by placing the milk, butter and flour in a saucepan, then whisking over a medium heat until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Then turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 5 minutes, adding some seasoning and the nutmeg. At the end whisk in 2 tablespoons of double cream.

When the mushrooms are ready, cook the pasta in the boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain it in a colander. Return it to the saucepan, add two-thirds of the sauce, along with the mushrooms and cubes of Taleggio. Now pile the whole lot into the baking dish, cover the pasta with the rest of the sauce and finally sprinkle with the Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

This can all be prepared in advance, but in that case it will need 30–40 minutes in the oven. Either way, when it is removed from the oven, allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving on hot pasta dishes.

First prepare the pesto: select a large pan that will hold the mussels comfortably, then in it heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the walnuts in the hot oil to get them nicely toasted on all sides – this will take 1-2 minutes.

Place the walnuts and any oil left in the pan into a blender or food processor, add the parsley and garlic, the remaining tablespoon of oil and seasoning, then blend everything to make a purée. Next, you need to deal with the mussels: heat the olive oil in the same pan that you sautéed the walnuts in, add the shallot and chopped garlic and cook these over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they're just soft.

Now turn the heat up high, tip in the prepared mussels and add the wine and some salt and pepper. Put on a close-fitting lid, turn the heat down to medium and cook the mussels for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice or until they have all opened. Discard any that remain closed.

During those 5 minutes bring another large pan of salted water up to the boil. Then, when the mussels are cooked, remove them from the heat and transfer them to a warm bowl using a slotted spoon and shaking each one well, so that no juice is left inside.

Keep 8 mussels aside still in their shells, for a garnish. Then remove the rest from their shells and keep them warm, covered with foil in a low oven. Then place a sieve lined with muslin or gauze over a bowl and strain the mussel liquor through it. This is very important as it removes any bits of sand or grit that get lodged in the mussel shells.

Now it's time to pop the pasta into the boiling water and put a timer on for 8 minutes (some pasta might need 10 minutes, so follow the instructions on the packet). Then pour the strained mussel liquor back into the original saucepan and fast-boil to reduce it by about one-third.

After that turn the heat to low and stir in the pesto. Now add the shelled mussels to the pesto sauce and remove it from the heat. As soon as the pasta is cooked, quickly strain it in a colander and divide it between two hot pasta bowls. Spoon the mussels and pesto over each portion, add the mussels in their shells and scatter over the parsley.

Serve absolutely immediately with some well chilled white wine. Yummy!

First heat some pasta bowls ready for serving.

Then in a large saucepan heat 2.25 litres of salted water and bring it up to a good fierce boil, then add the pasta and boil briskly, uncovered for 9-10 minutes until al dente. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and fry the pancetta without any extra oil until it’s crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

Next, whisk the eggs, yolks and cream in a jug with a generous seasoning of black pepper then whisk in the cheese. When the pasta is cooked, drain it quickly in a colander, leaving a little of the moisture still clinging. 

Now quickly return it to the saucepan and add the pancetta and any oil in the pan, along with the egg and cream mixture.

Stir very thoroughly, so that everything gets a good coating – what happens is that the liquid egg cooks briefly as it comes into contact with the hot pasta. Serve the pasta on really hot deep plates with some extra grated Pecorino Romano.
 

Start by bringing a large saucepan of water to simmering point, add some salt, a few drops of olive oil and the pasta, then bring back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes exactly.

Then turn the pasta into a colander and, to prevent it cooking any further, rinse it under the cold tap. While the pasta's cooking, melt the butter in a pan and soften the leeks and bacon over a low heat and, in another pan, make the white sauce with the butter, flour and milk and leave it to simmer very gently. Now turn the pasta, leeks and bacon into the prepared pie dish and mix them well together.

Next stir the grated cheese into the sauce, season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg and, finally, add the cream. Then pour the sauce over the ingredients in the pie dish, sprinkle the top with the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and cayenne pepper.

This is a dish which can be prepared well beforehand then, when it's needed, put into an oven pre-heated to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes till the top is nicely browned and the sauce bubbling.

You need to start this soup a few hours ahead by rinsing the dried cannellini beans in a sieve under cold water and placing them in a saucepan with 3 pints (1.75 litres) of cold water.

Next, bring them up to the boil and give them about 10 minutes before turning the heat off and leaving them to soak for 2 hours.

When you're ready to make the soup, first heat the oil in another large saucepan, add the finely chopped onion and let it cook for about 10 minutes without colouring. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Now add the tomato purée and fresh rosemary, stir for a minute and then pour in the beans, together with the water they were soaking in.

Now bring everything up to simmering point and simmer gently for about an hour, or until the beans are tender.

After this time, season with salt and pepper, then pour half the soup into a blender, switch on and blend until it's absolutely smooth.

Now return the puréed half to the pan to join the rest of the beans, bring back to a gentle simmer, then add the macaroni and simmer for a further 10-12 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the macaroni is cooked.

Serve in hot soup bowls with lots of the Parmesan sprinkled over.

First heat some pasta bowls ready for serving.

Then in a large saucepan heat 2.25 litres of salted water and bring it up to a good fierce boil. Add the pasta, stir once and let it boil briskly for 10 minutes without a lid.

Meanwhile make the pesto, place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil together with some salt in a mini-chopper and whizz, then push any unblended basil leaves down with a spatula and whizz again until you have a smooth purée.

Then transfer the purée to a bowl and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Next trim the beans and cut each one into three. Wash and slice the potatoes next leaving the skins on, they need to be about 3-4mm thick.

After the pasta has been cooking for 10 minutes, throw in the beans and potatoes. Now give the ingredients another stir and bring the water back to boil, then set the timer for 8 minutes.

After that drain the pasta, potatoes and beans in a colander, not completely as they need a little water still clinging to them. Then tip everything back into the saucepan, add the pesto sauce, and stir it pretty niftily to give everything a good coating.

Serve in the hot pasta bowls with the extra Pecorino Romano in a bowl to sprinkle over.

A good accompaniment would be some salad leaves sprinkled with a little extra virgin olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

If you want to make pesto a few days ahead - cover the surface with some cling film, making sure the cling film actually touches the surface of the sauce. You can keep it in the fridge for a week.