Spinach, Pignoli and Goat Cheese Lasagna

If using dry lasagne sheets, cook them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stir-fry the chopped onion in a heavy based frying pan until soft. Add the garlic and, quickly, the spinach. Toss and let it steam. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Crumble the ricotta with a fork and grate the goat cheese. Toast the pine nuts, tossing them in a dry pan. In a greased ovenproof dish, line layers of noodles, spinach, crumbled ricotta and grated goat cheese, seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper. Drizzle each with extra virgin olive oil. Finish with a layer of pasta and cover it with the cheeses. Bake it in a 200C oven until golden on top.

Basic Basil Pesto (Genovese)

Wash and dry the basil well with a tea towel. Add all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until you have a fine crumbly texture. If you have a pestle and mortar and want to do it the traditional way, bruise the basil and salt into a paste (do not bash the leaves, instead, make a continuous circular motion with the pestle). Add the chopped garlic and, when smooth, add the pine nuts. Keep mashing everything and finally add the grated cheeses. When it gets really thick, add the oil, a bit at a time. The paste will keep for several days if stored in the refrigerator, covered with a layer of olive oil.

Before serving, cook your pasta of choice in abundant salted boiling water until al dente. When ready, mix some of the pasta water with the basil paste to give it a creamy texture. Drain the pasta and mix in the sauce.

Cranberry Pecan Pie

Line a 23cm loose base tart pan with the pie dough. Coarsely chop half of the pecans and spread them over the unbaked pie crust. Spread cranberries over and then lay the whole pecans in a third layer. Leave it in the fridge. In a bowl whisk the flour and sugar, then the corn syrup. Mix in the eggs, salt and vanilla. Blend in the butter and pour the mixture over the pie shell. Bake in a 200C oven, for about 45 minutes. The filling must have set and the crust be golden brown. Cool before serving.

Baked Stuffed Courgettes

Remove and reserve the stem ends. With the thin blade of a knife, remove the centre pulp from each courgette, starting from the cut end, leaving a 5mm thick unbroken shell. Dice the salami slices and provolone and chop the parsley. Skin, seed and chop the tomatoes. Slice the onion thinly. In a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, Parma ham, salami, provolone, parmesan, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts and tomatoes. Mix in enough olive oil and water to hold the stuffing together. Pack the stuffing inside the courgettes and cover them with the reserved stem ends, securing them with wooden toothpicks. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and, turning occasionally, gently sauté the courgettes until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray. In the same pan, cook the onion until soft, then add the wine and finish with the butter, salt and pepper. Pour this sauce over the courgettes and bake in a 150C/300C oven for 45 minutes. Leave to cool then cut into slices and serve on a platter, with the sauce drizzled over.

Linguini al Pesto Genovese

Wash and dry the basil well with a tea towel. In a pestle and mortar bruise the basil and salt to a paste (do not bash the leaves, instead, make a continuous circular motion with the pestle). Add the garlic and, when smooth, add the pine nuts. Keep mashing everything to a paste, and finally add the grated cheeses. Once the mixture becomes very dense, add the oil, a little at a time. The paste will keep for several days if stored in the refrigerator, covered with a layer of olive oil. Before serving, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. When it’s ready, mix some of the pasta water with the basil paste to dilute and give it a creamy texture. Drain the pasta and mix in the sauce.