Mushroom & lemon pasta

For ➍
3 tbs olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

7 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

250 g pasta (penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, farfalle)

250 ml vegetable cooking cream

1 tbs thyme

½ ts black pepper

1 tbs nutritional yeast flakes*

1 tbs miso paste

100 g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

15 g basil + extra for garnish

zest 1 lemon

1 tbs lemon juice

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Bake for 10 m, stirring, until most of the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Add the cooking cream, thyme, black pepper, nutritional yeast*, miso paste, tomatoes, basil, the lemon zest and lemon juice to the mushrooms. Stir and let simmer for 2 m. Then add the pasta and 1 tbs olive oil.

Garnish with extra basil and possibly vegan Parmigiano*.

* Replace with Parmigiano for a non-vegan version.

Zuni Cafe pasta alla carbonara

For ➍-➎
4 or 5 thick slices (140 g) bacon, cut into small segments
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 large or 5 small eggs, at room temperature, beaten
½ cup (10 cl) fresh ricotta cheese, at room temperature
450 g spaghetti, penne, or bucatini pasta
¾ cup shucked sweet English peas or mature sugar snap peas or double-peeled favas
50 g pecorino romano or pecorino sardo, grated
salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Warm the bacon in the olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. It should gradually render a little fat, which will mix with the oil.
Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs with the ricotta.
Drop the pasta into 6 quarts rapidly boiling water seasoned with a scant 2 tbs salt. Stir, and cook until al dente.
When the pasta is about 1 m from being al dente, add the peas or favas to the water, and raise the heat under the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is just crispy on the edges but still tender in the middle. Turn off the heat, slide the pan from the heat, and swirl it a few times to cool it slightly.
Drain the pasta, shake off the excess water, and slide the pasta and peas or favas into the pan of bacon; you’ll hear a discreet sizzle. Place back on the burner (the one you used to cook the bacon, which should still be quite warm). Immediately pour the beaten eggs all over the steaming pasta, add most of the pecorino and lots of cracked black pepper, and fold to combine. Work quickly so the heat of the noodles, bacon and bacon fat slightly cooks the eggs. The eggs and ricotta will coat the pasta and form tiny, soft, golden curds.
Serve in warm bowls and offer the remaining pecorino and black pepper.

Try the original recipe. Or a Japanese fusion recipe.

Abruzzi lamb & red pepper ragu with penne

For ➑
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups finely chopped red onion
1½ cups chopped yellow bell pepper
1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
4 ts minced garlic cloves
350 g lean ground lamb
10 cl dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
4 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 ts salt
½ ts crushed red pepper
4 bay leaves
40 cl fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
500 g hot cooked penne (about 500 g uncooked tube-shaped pasta or other short pasta)*
50 g grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cover and cook 12 m, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan.
Add lamb to pan. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Return onion mixture and lamb to pan. Add wine. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 m or until liquid almost evaporates.
Add tomatoes, 3 tbs parsley, salt, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 10 m. Discard bay leaves.
Add pasta and cheese. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1 tbs parsley.

*Or toast some good bread. Put it on a plate. Spon the lamb stew over it.

Penne rosé (pasta with creamy tomato sauce)

For ➍ or ➏ as a starter
12,5 cl tomato sauce*
12,5 cl whipping cream
small clove of garlic, chopped
salt & pepper
15 g Parmigiano cheese, grated
400 g penne

Bring the water to the boil, salt it, and add the penne.
Heat the tomato sauce and garlic in a small saucepan. When the pomarola starts to boil, stir in the cream and heat through, being careful not to let the sauce burn. Season it to taste and turn off the heat.
When the pasta's cooked, drain and transfer it to a bowl.
Stir in the sauce and the cheese, and serve.

*Use home made Tuscan pomarola tomato sauce instead of the quick one with butter and onions.

Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian almonds & tomato pesto) (pesto rosso)

For ➍
190 g toasted almonds
15 g coriander*
20 g flat leaf parsley*
10 cl extra virgin olive oil
250 g cherry tomatoes

Put the almonds, coriander, parsley and oil in a high cup and puree with a hand blender until pesto. Add the tomatoes, or serve on the dish.
Serve with couscous or with pasta like penne or farfalle.

*Or 35 g basil

Pasta salad with grilled halloumi & asparagus

For ➍
500 g penne
400 g halloumi cheese
250 g cherry tomatoes
500 g white asparagus
6 spring onions, sliced finely
80 g rucola
a bunch of basil
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
pepper & coarse salt
tomated cold sauce:
10 cl yogurt
100 g Parmigiano cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 clove of garlic, peeled
juice of ½ lemon
40 g tomato paste
1 tbs (sharp ) mustard
1.5 dl peanut oil
a dash of Worcester sauce
few drops of Tabasco
salt

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt.
Cook the penne al dente. [Read tip]. Drain. Plunge in a colander and cool under running cold water.
Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Peel the asparagus. Remove ends.
Fill a pot with enough cold water and add a pinch of salt.
Place the asparagus in cold water. Heat the pot over medium heat and bring the water up to boiling point. When the water bubbles, put the fire out. Keep the asparagus in the warm water for 5-10 m. [Or use microwave].
Drain the vegetables to drain on a clean cloth or paper towel. set aside.
Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a tall mixing cup. Discard the egg whites.  Add a little spicy mustard, and a  clove of garlic.
Add the lemon juice and a tiny splash of water.
Blend the ingredients with a mixer. Trickle the oil in until you are left with a hefty amount of bound mayonnaise.
Add the yogurt and mix. Add the tomato puree, with a dash of English and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Add the Parmigiano and mix.
Spoon some of the dressing over the cold pasta and mix to cover all pasta.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add the finely diced onion and tomato wedges into the bowl with pasta and sauce.
Cut the drained sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips.
Rinse the rucola and basilicum.  Sprinkle the torn basil and sun-dried tomato pieces on top of the pasta salad. Add some pepper from the mill and some coarse salt.
Mix the pasta salad and put them in a large serving bowl.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus.
Cut the solid halloumi into slices about 1 cm wide. Move the asparagus and halloumi to the hot  BBQ grill of grill pan. Turn the slices of halloumi after 1 m. Remove the asparagus when they have some colour.
Cut the grilled asparagus in 3-4equal pieces. Divide the grilled halloumi into bite-sized chunks.
Arrange the pieces of grilled cheese and asparagus pieces on top of the pasta salad and serve immediately. Put the rest of the sauce on the table.

Pasta all'ammiraglio (tomato pasta salad)

For ➍-➏
500 g ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded & chopped (in the winter you can used drained canned tomatoes)
2 tbs salted or pickled capers, rinsed
5 leaves coarsely torn basil (or to taste)
olive oil (about 5 cl, or to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
500 g penne or other short thick-walled pasta

Cook the pasta until until al dente in lightly salted water, drain it, and cool it by running cold water over the colander.
While you are cooking the pasta, combine the other ingredients, check seasoning, and chill them in a bowl.
When the pasta has cooled, mix it into the sauce. Serve with a rosato wine.

*Add pitted black olives as well.
**Make it a full meal by adding 250 g shredded mozzarella.

Read tip on cooking pasta for a cold salad.
Read more cold pasta salad recipes.