Cooking for Friends

Chorizo, broad bean and mint couscous

Linguine with lemon, feta and basil

Smoked haddock with white beans and parsley

Gordon’s posh kedgeree

Spinach, mushroom and ricotta cannelloni

Goat’s cheese, beetroot and lentil salad

Wild mushroom barley risotto

Herby rice pilaf with pistachios and almonds

Farfalle with bacon, peas and sage (#ulink_42edfb13-28cf-51b8-bf22-10c34f7a1090)

This is an easy pasta carbonara, without any egg yolks, so there is no chance of splitting the sauce. My kids must have this for tea once a week – they love it! (Illustrated on page 50.)

SERVES 4

400g dried farfalle

3 tbsp olive oil

150g bacon lardons or 8 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

300ml double cream

150g peas, thawed if frozen

60g freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to sprinkle small handful each of sage and flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Tip in the farfalle and cook according to packet instructions until the pasta is al dente.

Heat the oil in another pan and add the bacon. Fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the bacon is golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and thickened slightly. Tip in the peas, bring back to a simmer and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir the grated parmesan into the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander and immediately tip into the sauce. Add the herbs, then toss the pasta until well coated with the creamy sauce. Divide among warm plates and sprinkle over a little more parmesan to serve.

Fresh tagliatelle with stilton and mushrooms (#ulink_1e25e381-1878-56ec-968e-b708ac9dad27)

Tana likes to make this towards year end, using leftover stilton from Christmas. Of course, you can use any blue cheese: piquant roquefort, savoury dolcelatte or creamy gorgonzola would work well.

SERVES 6

25g butter

250g chestnut or baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

100ml double cream

500g fresh tagliatelle

100g stilton, chopped or crumbled

handful each of fresh oregano and flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. In the meantime, melt the butter in a wide sauté pan. When it begins to foam, add the mushrooms and some seasoning. Fry over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Add the cream and reduce the heat.

Cook the tagliatelle in the boiling water for 2 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve 4-5 tablespoons of the water in the pan. Return the tagliatelle to the pan and tip in the mushrooms and cream. Add three-quarters of the stilton and half of the chopped herbs and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the melting cheese and sauce.

Divide among individual serving plates and scatter over the remaining stilton and herbs. Serve at once.

Grilled vegetable lasagne (#ulink_dfb356c8-884e-5fbc-910a-d7889dbb3b51)

Food like this is far too good to leave to the vegetarians. If you have time, make the tomato sauce the day before to let the flavours balance out.

SERVES 4-6

300g fresh lasagne sheets (about 12)

75g freshly grated parmesan

3 x 150g buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced

leaves from a small handful of basil

Grilled vegetables:

1 small aubergine

1 large green courgette

1 large yellow courgette

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

olive oil, to drizzle

few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

Tomato and basil sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil