STEPS 5, INGREDIENTS 14+, TIME 80 MINS This beginner-friendly minestrone soup recipe is a ‘throw it all in the pan’ style beauty, although in truth it hardly qualifies as a soup at all… That’s because in Italian ‘minestra’ actually means broth (in other words, soup with big chunky bits in), so this family filling minestrone […]
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In A Stir – Marisa’s super-simple bechamel sauce recipe
STEPS 4 INGREDIENTS 5 TIME 30-35 MINS This bechamel sauce recipe (also referred to as ‘white sauce’) is perfectly suited to dairy-loving pasta learners, because my mamma-in-law Marisa’s authentically creamy version is easier than many bechamel sauces to prepare. Some bechamel sauce recipes are complicated… you have to heat the milk ‘almost’ to boiling point, […]
Nicely spicy chili and garlic pasta recipe
STEPS 4 INGREDIENTS 5 TIME 20 MINS If you like your meals with a monster kick, this mouth-melting garlic pasta recipe with chili and oil will be right up your street. It’s convenient too, as it takes just 20 minutes to make. Called ‘aglio, olio e peperoncino’ in Italian, it is a fiery spaghetti dish […]
‘Easy hour’ vegetable pasta salad
STEPS 5 INGREDIENTS 9 (or you choose) TIME 60 MINS Making this vegetable pasta salad is probably the easiest hour you’ll spend making a pasta meal. You simply chop the veg, stick it in the oven, then boil the pasta and mix it all together. This mega-colourful creation – an Italian version of a recipe […]
‘Your choice’ seafood pasta recipe
STEPS 4, INGREDIENTS 7, TIME 20 MINS This seafood pasta recipe is 100% flexible in terms of the ingredients you can use – simply buy any seafood you like; small prawns, scallops, mussels, whatever… and mix this oily concoction together with spaghetti or linguine. You can’t fail to love munching it, because you choose what’s […]
How to make pasta: your easy guide
STEPS 3 INGREDIENTS 3 TIME 20-25 MINS Knowing how to make pasta from scratch really does not require major brainpower or any real skill… it’s simply a case of mixing up, folding and rolling the mixture. That’s it! To learn how to make pasta, just click the Play buttons in order below – and in […]
Making fresh pasta: your step-by-step picture guide
STEPS 6 INGREDIENTS 3 TIME 20-25 MINS The process of making fresh pasta is truly simple, meaning you’re just 20 minutes or so away from producing the kind of super-succulent, flavour-friendly Italian pasta that you and your guests will love. (For a video version of this page, click this how to make pasta guide.) Making […]
Recreate an Italian classic with this fuss-free spaghetti bolognese recipe
This ultra-easy spaghetti bolognese recipe is 100% authentic thanks to my mamma in law’s tips (grazie Marisa!). It’s also less rich and thick than the heavier Westernised versions you might have bought in the past. You see the real Italian way of making spaghetti sauce is this: heavy on the meat but easy on the […]
Fun shaped pasta for every occasion
Thanks to the huge number of types available, fun shaped pasta is really easy to find. Such silly pasta shapes are particularly great for: • Keeping kids entertained at meal times • Creating delicious, slow-energy-releasing party food • Serving up pasta dishes to suit special guests (pasta bells for the bride and groom anyone?) On […]
Different types of pasta: an A-Z guide
Heck it can get confusing! There are so many different types of pasta available, it can be tricky to understand and remember which is which. I’ve designed this page to help you get to know these different types of pasta, so below you’ll find a full A-Z listing. To use it, you can click the […]