Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

250g plain flour
125g cold butter, chopped
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp water

Filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g beef mince
150g chicken livers
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup (125ml) red wine
½ cup (125ml) rich beef stock
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
¼ tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce:
60g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1½ cup (375ml) cold milk
salt and pepper
150g tubular spaghetti (bucatini)


Method:

1. Place the flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk and half the water in a food processor. Process lightly until the mixture forms a ball, adding the remaining water if necessary. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. To make Filling: Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened and lightly golden. Increase the heat, add the mince and cook until browned, breaking up any lumps with a fork. Add the livers, tomatoes, red wine, stock, oregano and nutmeg, then season very well with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce over high heat until it boils, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 40 minutes; cool. Stir in Parmesan.
3. To make Sauce: Heat the butter in medium pan over low heat and when hot and foaming, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is golden. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Cook until the sauce boils and thickens, stirring constantly, then boil 1 minute further. Add salt and pepper.
4. Add the spaghetti to a pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain and cool. Generously grease a 23cm deep pie dish and preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). Divide the pastry into two and roll out one piece to fit the base of the prepared dish, overlapping the sides. Spoon about half of the meat mixture into the dish, top with the spaghetti and slowly spoon the Bechamel over the top, allowing it to seep down and coat the spaghetti. Top with the remaining meat. Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie. Trim edges and pinch lightly to seal. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until dark golden brown and crisp. Set aside for 15 minutes before cutting.

4 servings


Ingredients:

450g dried good quality linguine
Olive oil
4 rashers pancetta or dry-cured smoky bacon, sliced thinly
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1-2 dried red chiles, crumbled
1½ pounds clams
2 glasses (295ml) of white wine
1 good handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method:

• Cook your linguine in salted boiling water. Meanwhile, get a pan hot and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the pancetta. Fry until golden, then add the garlic and chillies. Soften them slightly and add the clams. Stir, then add the white wine.
• Put a lid on the pan and cook for a further couple of minutes until all the clams have opened, discard any that remain closed. Remove from the heat and add the drained linguine. Stir in the parsley, correct the seasoning and serve with all the cooking juices.

16 servings


Ingredients:

1kg strong bread flour
30g sugar
30g salt
30g dried yeast
565ml tepid water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings:

Tomato:
8 plum tomatoes
Sprinkle dried oregano
Drizzle olive oil
For enough to cover eight bases, chop and de-seed plum tomatoes, dry with kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

Various topping:
Sliced mozzarella
Rocket (Arugula)
Parmesan
Olives
Sun-dried tomatoes
Artichoke hearts
Prosciutto
Panchetta


Method:

• Put the flour onto a work surface or use a bowl, if you are short of space. Using your fingers, make a big well in the middle of the flour. Add the sugar, salt and yeast then pour in the tepid water and olive oil. Using a fork, make circular movements from the centre moving outwards, slowly bringing in more of the flour until all the yeast mixture is soaked up. This should be starting to look like dough now so you can start to work and knead it until it is smooth. This should take around 4 minutes. Roll out to a sausage shape and divide into 8 or 10 balls, depending on how large you want the pizzas to be.


• Flour the surface and roll each pizza out to about the thickness of 3 beer coasters (8cm). They don't have to be perfectly round, they should look home-made. Place each pizza on a lightly oiled and floured piece of tin foil. Flour the top of the pizza, placing another on top of it. Flour that and repeat this until all the pizzas are stacked together. These can be frozen for a couple of months, placed in the fridge for 10 hours, or cooked straight away. Lightly top with your chosen topping and bake directly on the oven bars for 10 minutes at your oven's highest temperature.

4 servings


Ingredients:

300g wild mixed mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 small dried red chiles, pounded or very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon, juiced
450g dried spaghetti
A small handful grated Parmesan
1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
55g unsalted butter


Method:

1. Brush off any dirt from the mushrooms with a pastry brush or a tea towel. Slice the mushrooms thinly, but tear any larger mushrooms, like girolles, chanterelles. and blewits in half.
2. Put the olive oil in a very hot frying pan, and add the mushrooms. Let them fry fast, tossing once or twice, then add the garlic and chile with a pinch of salt (it is very important to season mushrooms slightly, as it really brings out the flavor). Continue to fry fast for 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly. Then turn the heat off and squeeze in the lemon juice. Toss and season, to taste.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the mushrooms, with the Parmesan, parsley, and butter. Toss gently, coating the pasta with the mushrooms and their flavor. Serve, scraping out all of the last bits of mushroom from the pan, and sprinkle with a little extra parsley and Parmesan.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

450g dried spaghetti
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Olive oil
2 handfuls of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls of basil, torn
1small handful of Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated


Method:

While cooking the Spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, slowly fry the onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, for 5 minutes until soft and tender. Stir in the drained tomatoes and vinegar, and throw in your drained pasta. Season and toss together with the basil, serve with grated Parmesan or Pecorino.

4 servings


Ingredients:

450g dried spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 handful capers, soaked in water and drained
2 handfuls big black olives, pitted
12 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
3 small dried red chiles, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 (400g) cans tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 good handful fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method:

• Cook the spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile fry the garlic, capers, olives, anchovies, chiles, and oregano in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, until you have a lovely tomato sauce consistency.
• Remove from the heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into it, toss it over, and cover with the sauce. Rip all the basil over it, correct the seasoning, and drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil.

4 servings


Ingredients:

A good pinch saffron
1 glass white wine
Olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
450g dried tagliatelle
680g mixed seafood (red mullet, scallops, clams, debearded mussels, squid)
240ml double cream (heavy cream)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A bunch flat parsley, chopped


Method:

• Soak the saffron in the white wine. Add a little oil and the garlic to a frying pan, and cook until softened. Add the clams and mussels, shake the pan around, and add the white wine and saffron mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until the shellfish opens, discard any shellfish that remain closed.
• Then, lay the rest of the seafood, parsley, and the cream on top. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and season to taste. Cook the tagliatelle in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and add to the fish, serve scattered with some of the leftover parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

4 servings


Ingredients:

310g small shell-shaped pasta
3 cloves garlic
225g yellow cherry tomatoes
225g red cherry tomatoes
½ cucumber
1 handful black olives, pitted
2 tablespoons fresh chives
I handful fresh basil
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method:

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and garlic, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until al dente, and drain.
2. Put the garlic to one side for the dressing. Put the pasta in a bowl.
3. Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, and black olives into small pieces, about half the size of the pasta, and place in the round metal container. Roughly chop the herbs and place these in the container.
4. Using a fork mash the cooked garlic cloves on the board with a little salt, add to the salad.
5. Add the oil, vinegar, and seasoning.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

450g (1 lb) spaghetti
8 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup half-and-half
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon soft butter or margarine
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Cracked black pepper
Extra Parmesan cheese


Method:

• Cook spaghetti accordingly.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add the red pepper, if used, and the half-and-half. Keep warm in skillet.
• Beat eggs with the cheese in a separate bowl.
• When pasta is tender but firm, drain well. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and mix with the butter.
• Toss with the bacon mixture, followed by the egg mixture.
• Sprinkle with parsley, black pepper to taste and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:
454 g spaghetti, fresh or imported from Italy
10 anchovies filets in olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian or flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 oranges, segmented
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook.
2. Meanwhile place anchovies, onion, garlic, butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in which the anchovies were marinating in a sauce pan. Sauce over low heat until anchovies start to dissolve then add oranges, just warming them through. This will take no longer than 6 - 8 minutes.
3. Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce pan. Add the parsley and breadcrumbs and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between four plates. Sprinkle with a touch of parsley and lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.