Start this by gently re-heating the tomato sauce and putting the pasta on to cook.

When you are almost ready to eat, stir the cubes of Mozzarella into the warm sauce and let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, by which time the cheese will have softened and begun to melt but still retain its identity. Serve the sauce spooned over the drained pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and add a few fresh basil leaves as a garnish.

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.

See more Baked Pasta recipes in our Online Cookery School Vidoe on the right

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.

First of all, bring the water to the boil for the pasta.

Use a large saucepan; you need at least 8 pints (4.7 litres) of water for this quantity of pasta, with 1 level tablespoon salt added to it. Meanwhile, place the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven and put a timer on for 6 minutes to toast them lightly.

Over a low heat, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Then add the cheese, followed by the cream and leave to simmer very gently to become a creamy sauce. Once the pasta water is up to a fierce boil, put the pasta in and cook without a lid, for 5-8 minutes or according to the pack instructions. Now chop the nuts into small pieces, finely slice the spring onions, then add them to the sauce and season it with freshly milled black pepper and a little salt.

When the pasta is ready, drain it in 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 sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

You can also watch how to cook pasta in our Online Cookery School Video on the right.

You need to begin by first browning the meatballs. To do this, add the oil to the casserole and whilst it’s heating coat the meatballs lightly with seasoned flour. When it’s smoking hot, brown them four at a time, then transfer them to a plate.

After that, make the sauce in the same pan. Heat the oil, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cook for another minute, add in the paprika and any remaining seasoned flour, and give it a stir to soak up the juices. Then add the tomatoes, a little salt and bring it up to simmering point, stirring all the time.

Now add the meatballs and bring it back to a gentle simmer, then put a lid on and transfer to the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour. Then stir in the green pepper, put the lid back on and cook for a further half hour.

Just before serving, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 4 minutes, then drain and return it to the pan and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and the poppy seeds. Now divide the pasta into warm bowls. Lightly stir
the crème fraîche into the meatballs and sauce to give a marbled effect.

Spoon it onto the fettuccine and sprinkle a dusting of paprika on as a garnish as they go to the table.

Nutrition 642kcals/58.4g carbohydrate/8.1g sugars/32.6g fat/13.1g saturated fat/1.1g salt per serving for 4

Begin by melting the butter in a solid-based frying pan, then add the onion and sauté over a low heat until soft.

This will take about 7 minutes. Now add the crushed garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes.  Next mix the curry powder and flour together and stir these into the butter to soak up all the juices. Then add the wine gradually, stirring briskly after each addition and, when all the wine is added, cook for a further 3 minutes before finally adding the crème fraîche. 

The sauce is now ready and can be made up to this stage in advance, but lay a piece of clingfilm over the surface if you're not using it immediately.

When you're ready to cook the pasta place a large saucepan with plenty of lightly salted water on to boil and cook the pasta for 10 minutes or until it is cooked to your liking, but still retains some bite. Meanwhile, tear little pieces of smoked salmon lengthways into strips, then reheat the sauce and add the salmon at the very last minute, just before serving.

Now drain the pasta, return it to the pan, then quickly stir in the sauce and smoked salmon and serve at once in deep heated bowls.

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. Place the chopped tomatoes and the Ragù sauce in a small saucepan and mix thoroughly and heat gently until simmering then stir in the basil and some seasoning.

(If you forget to take the Ragu sauce from the freezer in time to defrost it, don’t worry, you can heat it with the tomatoes - from frozen - just make sure its bubbling hot). 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 stir in the Bolognese sauce. Serve in hot pasta bowls with plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to sprinkle.

Pasta for all our Cookery School recipes from the Martelli family, air-dried in huge lofts in Lari, Tuscany.

MARTELLI STOCKIST:

Begin this by making the sauce, which can be done using the all-in-one method.

This means placing the milk, butter, flour and bay leaf together in a saucepan, giving it a good seasoning, then, over a medium heat, whisking the whole lot together continually until it comes to simmering point and has thickened. Now turn the heat down to its lowest possible setting and allow the sauce to cook gently for 5 minutes.

After that, stir in 2 oz (50 g) of the Parmesan, then remove it from the heat, discard the bay leaf and place some clingfilm over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Now you need to deal with the spinach. First of all remove and discard the stalks, then wash the leaves really thoroughly in 2 or 3 changes of cold water and shake them dry. Next, take your largest saucepan, pop the knob of butter in it, then pile the spinach leaves in on top, sprinkling them with a little salt as you go. Now place the pan over a medium heat, put a lid on and cook the spinach for about 2 minutes, turning the leaves over halfway through. After that, the leaves will have collapsed down and become tender.

Next drain the spinach in a colander and, when it's cool enough to handle, squeeze it in your hands to get rid of every last drop of liquid. Then place it on a chopping board and chop it finely. Now put it into a bowl, add the ricotta, then approximately 5 fl oz (150 ml) of the sauce. Give it a good seasoning of salt and pepper and add the grated nutmeg. Then mix everything together really thoroughly and, finally, fold in the crumbled Gorgonzola.

Now you need to place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the pine nuts and dry-fry them for about 1 minute, tossing them around to get them nicely toasted but being careful that they don't burn. Then remove the pan from the heat and assemble the lasagne.

To do this, spread a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of the dish and, on top of that, a third of the spinach mixture, followed by a scattering of toasted pine nuts. Now place sheets of pasta on top of this – you may need to tear some of them in half with your hands to make them fit. Now repeat the whole process, this time adding a third of the grated Mozzarella along with the pine nuts, then the lasagne sheets. Repeat again, finishing with a layer of pasta, the rest of the sauce and the remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella.

When you are ready to cook the lasagne, place it on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.

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

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.  You can also watch how to prepare chiilies and garlic in our Cookery School Videos on the right.

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 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. Place the chopped tomatoes and the Ragù sauce in a small saucepan and mix thoroughly and heat gently until simmering then stir in the basil and some seasoning.

(If you forget to take the Ragu sauce from the freezer in time to defrost it, don’t worry, you can heat it with the tomatoes - from frozen - just make sure its bubbling hot). 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 stir in the Bolognese sauce. Serve in hot pasta bowls with plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to sprinkle.

Pasta for all our Cookery School recipes from the Martelli family, air-dried in huge lofts in Lari, Tuscany.

MARTELLI STOCKIST:

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.

Start this by gently re-heating the tomato sauce and putting the pasta on to cook.

When you are almost ready to eat, stir the cubes of Mozzarella into the warm sauce and let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, by which time the cheese will have softened and begun to melt but still retain its identity. Serve the sauce spooned over the drained pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and add a few fresh basil leaves as a garnish.

Begin this by making the sauce, which can be done using the all-in-one method.

This means placing the milk, butter, flour and bay leaf together in a saucepan, giving it a good seasoning, then, over a medium heat, whisking the whole lot together continually until it comes to simmering point and has thickened. Now turn the heat down to its lowest possible setting and allow the sauce to cook gently for 5 minutes.

After that, stir in 2 oz (50 g) of the Parmesan, then remove it from the heat, discard the bay leaf and place some clingfilm over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Now you need to deal with the spinach. First of all remove and discard the stalks, then wash the leaves really thoroughly in 2 or 3 changes of cold water and shake them dry. Next, take your largest saucepan, pop the knob of butter in it, then pile the spinach leaves in on top, sprinkling them with a little salt as you go. Now place the pan over a medium heat, put a lid on and cook the spinach for about 2 minutes, turning the leaves over halfway through. After that, the leaves will have collapsed down and become tender.

Next drain the spinach in a colander and, when it's cool enough to handle, squeeze it in your hands to get rid of every last drop of liquid. Then place it on a chopping board and chop it finely. Now put it into a bowl, add the ricotta, then approximately 5 fl oz (150 ml) of the sauce. Give it a good seasoning of salt and pepper and add the grated nutmeg. Then mix everything together really thoroughly and, finally, fold in the crumbled Gorgonzola.

Now you need to place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the pine nuts and dry-fry them for about 1 minute, tossing them around to get them nicely toasted but being careful that they don't burn. Then remove the pan from the heat and assemble the lasagne.

To do this, spread a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of the dish and, on top of that, a third of the spinach mixture, followed by a scattering of toasted pine nuts. Now place sheets of pasta on top of this – you may need to tear some of them in half with your hands to make them fit. Now repeat the whole process, this time adding a third of the grated Mozzarella along with the pine nuts, then the lasagne sheets. Repeat again, finishing with a layer of pasta, the rest of the sauce and the remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella.

When you are ready to cook the lasagne, place it on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.

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

First of all, put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

Then put the sultanas in a small bowl, cover with cold water and leave them to soak for 5 minutes so they plump up. Meanwhile, trim the tough, fibrous ends off the sprouting broccoli and then slice the stems into short, ½ inch (1 cm) lengths, dividing up some of the larger heads of broccoli as you want them to be the same size as the pasta.

Transfer the sprouting broccoli to a steamer, sprinkle with salt and cover and steam for 7 minutes. Then remove the steamer from the pan and leave aside, covered. Now quickly add the water from the steamer pan to the pasta pan and bring it back to boiling point to cook the pasta.  You can also watch how to cook perfect pasta in our Online Cookery School on the right.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the sliced onion for 3 or 4 minutes.

Then throw in the pine nuts and sultanas (drain them first) and continue to cook gently until the onion is softened and the pine nuts lightly browned.

Now add the chopped anchovy fillets, and as soon as they have melted into the mix, the sauce is ready. Add the steamed broccoli and briefly toss everything together. Then drain the pasta, return it to the hot, dry pan you cooked it in and toss it with the broccoli mixture.

Season to taste and serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated Pecorino Romano.

Begin by heating four pasta bowls ready for serving.

Then, in a large saucepan, heat up 8 pints (4.7 litres) water with 1 level tablespoon sea salt and bring it up to a good, fierce boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir once, then let it boil briskly for 10 minutes.

All that happens now is that while the pasta is cooking, the rest of the ingredients are piled into a processor with a teaspoon of salt, then one big whiz till the herbs are chopped and that’s it. Now drain the pasta and return it quickly to the saucepan with the sauce and toss the two together.  You can also watch how to cook perfect pasta in our Cookery School Video on the right.

Serve in the warm bowls with a little extra zest sprinkled over each one.

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.

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. 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. You can also watch how to cook pasta in our Online Cookery School Video on the right.

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

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, bring the water to the boil for the pasta.

Use a large saucepan; you need at least 8 pints (4.7 litres) of water for this quantity of pasta, with 1 level tablespoon salt added to it. Meanwhile, place the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven and put a timer on for 6 minutes to toast them lightly.

Over a low heat, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Then add the cheese, followed by the cream and leave to simmer very gently to become a creamy sauce. Once the pasta water is up to a fierce boil, put the pasta in and cook without a lid, for 5-8 minutes or according to the pack instructions. Now chop the nuts into small pieces, finely slice the spring onions, then add them to the sauce and season it with freshly milled black pepper and a little salt.

When the pasta is ready, drain it in 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 sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

You can also watch how to cook pasta in our Online Cookery School Video on the right.

First heat up the butter and oil in a large saucepan, then add the bacon or pancetta 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 and bring to the boil and simmer gently (covered) for about 1 hour. To prepare the leeks first take the tough green ends off and throw them out, then make a vertical split about halfway down the centre of each one and clean them by running them under the cold water tap wihile you fan out the layers - this will rid them of any hidden dust and grit.  Finely chop them.

When the hour is up, stir the leeks, cabbage, macaroni and tomato puree into the stock and cook, unvoered for a further 10 monutes or until the pasta is cooked. 

Finally, stir in the parsley and basil and serve the minestrone in warmed soup bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.