Cooking for Friends

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

stripped leaves from a sprig of thyme

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes in natural juice

1 tsp caster sugar (optional)

small handful of basil, leaves torn

First, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme with some salt and pepper. Stir frequently and cook for about 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Tip in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Taste and add sugar if the tomatoes seem acidic.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Trim the aubergine and courgettes, then slice into 5mm rounds. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Cook in batches on a hot griddle pan for 2-3 minutes on each side until tender and lightly charred. Transfer to a large bowl.

Preheat the grill to hot. Cut the red and yellow peppers in half and place them cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Grill for 10-15 minutes until well charred. Remove and leave to cool slightly before peeling off the skins and discarding the seeds. Cut the flesh into wedges and add to the bowl of grilled vegetables.

When the tomato sauce is ready, add the basil, transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce over the base of a deep baking dish. Put two sheets of lasagne on top, then sprinkle over a little parmesan. Arrange a layer of grilled vegetables on top, followed by a layer of mozzarella and a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat until you’ve reached the top of the dish. You want to finish with a layer of lasagne sheets spread generously with tomato sauce. Top this with a final layer of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheese topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the sides.

Conchiglie with meaty tomato ragù (#ulink_2b554743-1747-5b77-8b70-3cea3d324e4f)

This is my version of a pasta bolognese. I prefer to use conchiglie, as their shell shape holds more of the flavourful sauce than spaghetti does. Meat ragù freezes well and makes an ideal prepare-ahead supper.

SERVES 4

Ragù:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

stripped leaves from a sprig of thyme

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

500g lean beef mince

150ml dry white wine

400g tin chopped tomatoes in juice

300ml chicken stock (see page 258) or water

pinch of caster sugar (optional)

Pasta:

400g dried conchiglie

large handful of flat-leaf parsley and oregano, chopped

parmesan, to serve

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-based pan until hot. Add the onion and some seasoning. Fry over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Tip in the garlic, celery, carrot and herbs. Sauté briefly over high heat for a few minutes, until the vegetables are lightly golden.

Add the remaining oil and the beef mince. Stir well, pressing down on the mince to break it up. Season again and continue to stir over high heat until the mince is no longer red. Pour in the wine and let it boil vigorously until almost all reduced and the pan is quite dry.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and stock. Stir well to mix. When the liquid in the pan begins to boil, turn the heat to the lowest setting and partially cover the pan. Cook gently for 2½-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a pinch of sugar, if necessary, to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Fifteen minutes before you are ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it off and immediately add to the hot ragù, stirring in the chopped herbs as well. Divide among warm plates and serve with a generous grating of black pepper and parmesan.

Penne with baked pumpkin and rosemary (#ulink_ea8f4f18-56b3-5768-896f-a2cf8dbee985)

There are two ways to serve this: with a smooth or a chunky sauce. It depends both on your taste and on the firmness of the pumpkin flesh. If you can get them, baby bear and small sugar pumpkins have firm orange flesh and a sweetness that will caramelize well on cooking.

SERVES 4-6 AS A STARTER OR LIGHT LUNCH

500g wedge of cooking pumpkin, skin on

olive oil, to drizzle

4 garlic cloves, halved with skin on

leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary

few sprigs of thyme

400g dried penne

30g freshly grated parmesan, plus shavings to serve

Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Cut the pumpkin into thin wedges. Spread a little olive oil over the base of a roasting tray and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer and drizzle generously with more olive oil. Scatter over the garlic, herbs and a little more seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil.

Reserving the oil in the roasting tray (discard the herbs and garlic pulp; they have done their job), remove the skin from the pumpkin and cut the flesh into small bite-size chunks. If making a smooth sauce, put the pumpkin along with the reserved oil into a food processor and blend to a smooth purée. Transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and let it bubble until reduced to a consistency that will coat the pasta well.

Cook the penne according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain into a colander and return to the hot pan. Add the pumpkin purée and grated parmesan and toss well. If you’ve decided to leave the pumpkins in chunks, simply toss them and the reserved oil with the pasta and parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle each plate with a small handful of parmesan shavings to serve.