My Online Recipe Book

Place zest in a pan with 1 cup (250ml) water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until zest softens. Strain, reserving zest.

Heat oil in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add eschalots and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened, then add lemon juice, wine, stock and bay leaf. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until reduced by half. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing down on solids, then return to the pan.

Cook tortellini according to packet instructions, adding asparagus for the last 2 minutes of cooking time, then drain.

Meanwhile, place the sauce over very low heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until you have a thickened and combined sauce. Season well.

Divide tortellini and asparagus among plates, then drizzle with sauce and lemon zest. Serve with the herbs or salad leaves.

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Grease four, 1 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes (see note 1). Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned.

Stir in tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.

Cook half the lasagne pieces in a large saucepan of boiling water, 1 at a time, for 10 seconds. Remove from pan with tongs. Drain on a board lined with paper towel (see note 2). Place 1 piece of pasta into each prepared dish.

Spoon 1/8 mince mixture into dishes. Top with basil. Sprinkle with ricotta. Cook remaining lasagne pieces, 1 at a time, for 10 seconds. Remove from pan with tongs. Drain on a board lined with paper towel. Place remaining lasagne pieces over ricotta mixture, allowing pasta to overhang at the edge of dishes. Spoon remaining mince evenly over pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Spray pasta edges with oil.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Serve.

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions. Drain, reserving 60ml (1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the pan.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the tomato, cut-side up, on the prepared tray. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes or until softened slightly.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Add tomato, bacon, dip, rocket and the reserved cooking liquid to pasta. Toss until well combined.

Place a large steamer over a large saucepan of simmering water. Steam sweet potato and potato for 45 minutes or until tender (see note). Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard skin. Transfer flesh to a bowl. Mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

Add egg yolk and flour. Stir to form a firm dough (if too soft, add a little more flour). Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll 1 portion into a 35cm-long log. Using a lightly floured knife, cut into 2cm pieces. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Roll each ball over a floured fork to form grooves. Arrange gnocchi between prepared trays (freeze half the gnocchi – see note).

Make pesto Process basil, garlic, parmesan, nuts and lemon juice until finely chopped. With the motor running, add oil in a thin steady stream until combined. Season with salt and pepper (freeze half the pesto – see notes).

Cook remaining gnocchi in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, drain and transfer gnocchi to a large bowl. Add remaining pesto. Gently toss to combine. Divide between bowls. Serve with rocket and parmesan.

Cook fettuccine according to the packet directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until brown.

Add pesto, cream, salt and pepper to frying pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly.

Drain pasta. Add to pesto mixture. Toss over low heat until well combined. Transfer to serving bowls. Top with parmesan and basil. Serve warm.

Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. (Alternatively, place ingredients in a mortar and pound with a pestle until well combined).

With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until well combined and a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to an airtight container and pour over a little extra oil to cover the pesto surface (this will prevent the basil from oxidising and turning black).

Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions until tender. Drain. Return to pan.

Meanwhile, process basil, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan, scraping down sides occasionally, until almost smooth.

With motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream. Process to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Add pesto to pasta. Toss to combine. Serve

To make chicken cacciatore: Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta sauce, wine, caper and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the mushroom and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the mushroom is tender. Transfer half the chicken cacciatore to a bowl and freeze the rest (see note).

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook the broccolini in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh under cold running water. Drain.

Place the chicken cacciatore and chilli flakes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Stir in the broccolini.

Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top with chicken mixture and a dollop of basil pesto.

Peel and clean prawns, then cut into thirds.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add prawns, celery, tomatoes, half the basil, chilli, lemon zest and juice, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until prawns are just cooked. Season with salt and pepper, then remove pan from heat.

Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well and reserve 2 tbs cooking water.

Add pasta to prawn mixture and place over medium–high heat. Add reserved cooking water and cook, tossing, for 3 minutes or until warmed through and well combined.

Divide pasta among warmed bowls, top with remaining basil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Place potato in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain, then return potato to pan over low heat. Cook, shaking the pan, for 1-2 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Pass potato through a potato ricer into a bowl and season. Add eggs, nutmeg and flour and bring mixture together with your hands to form a soft dough - be careful not to overwork it. Divide mixture into 6 portions and roll each into a thin log, then cut into 2cm pieces.

In batches, cook gnocchi in boiling salted water for 1 minute or until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until pancetta starts to crisp. Remove and whiz in a small food processor until fine, then return to the pan. Reduce heat to medium, then add garlic and cream, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until sauce has reduced by about one-third. Season well and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining 1 tbs oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the gnocchi, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes, turning, until golden. Gently toss the gnocchi with the peas and cream mixture until combined.

Season, then garnish with parmesan, if using, and parsley. Serve immediately.