Nigella's Prawn Pasta Rosa

Here's one of those great quick and easy meals that are ideal for a family dinner.

Luckily both my children love prawns, which comes in very handy as they're so quick to cook and make a nice change from chicken or pork. It's not quite a storecupboard recipe as mascarpone isn't something I always have in the fridge but with a bit of forward planning it's super quick to assemble and always goes down well.

The original recipe was for two people but I have adapted it to feed the four of us.

Prawn Pasta Rosa
(adapted from Italianissimo by Nigella Lawson)

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato puree
6 tablespoons milk
6 tablespoons mascarpone
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic oil
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (I tend to leave this out)
225g raw peeled prawns (or small cooked prawns)
100ml vermouth (or white wine)
350g pasta
salt for pasta water

1) Put a pan of water on to boil, adding salt when it comes to the boil, and then cook the pasta according to the instruction on the pack.

2) Whisk together the tomato puree and milk, add the mascarpone then whisk again to combine.

3) In a large pan or wok warm the garlic oil and add the chilli flakes (if using). Stir then add the prawns and stir-fry for a minute or two (longer if frozen) until cooked through.

4) Pour in the vermouth and let it bubble up and reduce a little then add the pink sauce. Cook, stirring, until it is hot throughout, checking that the prawns are also cooked.

5) Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, stirring to combine, before serving.

Serves two adults and two children

Fusilli with Glorious Green Spinach Sauce

Look at this for a colourful dinner! I was trying to decide what to do with a tub of mascarpone that was speeding towards its use-by date when I came across this recipe that I'd pulled out of an edition of Good Food Magazine some years ago.

Now I've made it I don't why I waited so long as this is a lovely dish. I guess the sound of a green spinach sauce isn't particularly appetising but don't be put off.  There's enough mascarpone to make a really creamy sauce that isn't overpowered by the spinach (although if you really hate the stuff this may not be the dish for you) and the parmesan adds it's usual cheesy flavour.  It's surprisingly child-friendly too, considering the colour - I had one complete plate-clearance and one half finished which, for a new dish, is pretty good going!

And, of course, it's easy to make.  As you can see from the instructions below, it's just a two-step job with minimal chopping and faffing involved.

Fusilli with Glorious Green Spinach Sauce
(from BBC Good Food Magazine)

400g/14oz fusilli pasta
225g/8oz bag baby spinach
1 garlic clove
250g tub mascarpone
juice of 1/2 large lemon
30g/1oz grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
55g/2oz pine nuts, lightly toasted

1) Cook the pasta according to the instruction.  Meanwhile, put half the spinach in a food processor with the garlic, mascarpone, lemon juice and parmesan, then whizz to a smooth sauce.

2) Drain the pasta thoroughly and return to the pan over a low heat.  Stir in the sauce, pine nuts and remaining spinach, until the spinach has just wilted. Season and serve with extra parmesan.

Serves 4

Delia's Strawberry and Vanilla Pavlova

We've passed the peak of the strawberry season now (sadly, as they are my favourite fruit by a long way) but you should be able to get British ones in the shops for a few weeks yet. The following recipe is the perfect use for them.

This is another of those recipes created by Delia Smith for Waitrose and if you can't find the recipe card instore you can find all the details on the Waitrose website here.

I have to admit that I struggled a bit with the meringue at first as it was too runny and refused to stay in the neat and tidy peaks I was hoping for. In the end I realised that I probably hadn't beaten it enough so I just put it back in the bowl and set to it with the whisk for several minutes longer. Eventually it seemed to be the right consistency and I manage to achieve a reasonable shape.

I was quite sure what to expect from the mascarpone and fromage frais combination and was worried that it might not be sweet enough. I worried for nothing though as it turned out to be delicious and the balance of sweetness was just right.

The recipe says it serves 6, however I served it to 4 people and we devoured the lot with no trouble at all. If cooking for 6 or more you might want to consider scaling up the quantities!

Tiramisu Trifle

No Meal Planning Monday for me today as I've had a busy couple of weeks and feel all cooked out. I know that tonight we're having Souffled Macaroni Cheese and tomorrow it's the Roasted Pepper, Pancetta and Mascarpone Risotto that I never got around to making last week but beyond that it's anyone's guess!

Instead, though, I can tell you about this fantastic Tiramisu Trifle that I made at the weekend. This is just perfect for high days and holidays at any time of year. I've made it many times at Christmas and it went down very well at our outdoor barbeque yesterday.

The custard and mascarpone make it rich and creamy and the Amaretto/coffee combination make it smell amazing and taste even better. Oh, and of course it's easy to make too!

Tiramisu Trifle

(adapted from Good Food Magazine, January 2003)

1/2 pint/300ml strong coffee

6 fl oz/175ml amaretto

500g tub mascarpone

500g fresh vanilla custard

9 oz/250g sponge fingers

3 oz/85g dark chocolate, chopped, plus extra to decorate

4 tbsp toasted flaked almonds

1) Pour the coffee and Amaretto into a wide dish.

2) Whisk the mascarpone and custard together using a hand whisk or blender.

3) Take a third of the biscuits and dip each one in the coffee/Amaretto mixture and then place in the bottom of a 2 litre serving dish.

4) Sprinkle a third of the grated chocolate over the biscuit layer and then follow with a third of the mascarpone and custard mixture. Repeat this process twice more to create three distinct layers.

5) Place the trifle in the fridge and leave for at least two hours or overnight.

6) Just before serving, sprinkle the trifle with the almonds and extra chopped chocolate.

Serves 8 - 10 generously

Roasted Pepper, Pancetta and Mascarpone Risotto

Risotto isn't something I make very much. Yes, it's pretty straightforward to make and, on some level, the amount of stirring involved makes the process quite relaxing I suppose. However, I have small children and at the end of the long day if I have to choose between standing at the hob for 30 minutes attending to a saucepan or leaving something to it's own devices while I slump into a chair then I'm afraid the second option is going to win. Having said that, if I'm feeling in the right frame of mind I will dig out the arborio and get stirring. And this recipe in particular really makes the effort worthwhile. The salty pancetta and creamy mascarpone really lift it to another level and turn it into something special.

Roasted Pepper, Pancetta and Mascarpone Risotto

(adapted from a recipe by Valentina Harris in Good Food Magazine)

2 red or yellow peppers (if you're in a rush use sliced roasted peppers from a jar and start the recipe from step 3

50g/2 oz unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

175g/6 oz risotto rice

1 litre/1 1/2 pints vegetable or chicken stock, kept just below boiling point in a pan

50g/2 oz diced pancetta

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

3 tbsp mascarpone

50g/2 oz freshly grated parmesan

1 tbsp snipped chives for garnishing

1) Preheat the grill to high, then grill the fresh peppers whole for 10-15 minutes, turning them frequently, until the skins are blackened all over. While they are still warm, put them in a heatproof bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes until cool enough to handle.

2) Peel the skin from the peppers - their flesh will be quite brown in patches. Cut them in half, remove and discard all the seeds and membranes, then cut the peppers into thin strips and set aside.

3) Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, then fry the onion very gently for about 10 minutes until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and three quarters of the peppers. Stir together gently over a low heat for about 3 minutes, then add the rice all in one go. Stir until the grains are coated and toasted all over, about 5 minutes. The add the first ladleful of hot stock and stir it in. Cook slowly adding stock until the grains are plump and swollen.

4) Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the pancetta with the olive oil until it is brown and crisp. When the rice is cooked to the right degree (in other words neither chalky nor mushy, but just chewy), take it off the heat and stir in seasoning to taste, plus the remaining ingredients. Cover and leave to stand for about 3 minutes before spooning onto serving plates. Sprinkle with the chopped chives and offer extra parmesan at the table.

Serves 2.

Delia's Souffled Macaroni Cheese

OK, so if you were after something light and healthy for your dinner then this probably isn't the recipe for you. This is one to turn to if you fancy something warm, comforting and filling and is an absolute favourite of mine. That said, it's also quite light thanks to the souffle element created by the beaten egg whites folded in at the last minute.

This isn't a quick dish to prepare as it requires a fair bit of grating, egg-separating and measuring before you start, but once it's all ready it doesn't take too long and is pretty fail safe.

I usually pair it up with some oven baked potato wedges for a seriously cheesy carb-fest. Add vegetables if you must but it won't be the same!

You can find the recipe on Delia's website here or in Book One of her How to Cook series.

Rigatoni with Courgettes, Lemon and Basil

A joke for you....

Q: What cheese do you use to hide a small horse?

A: Mascarpone!!

Sorry, but that joke does make me laugh and it is topical as mascarpone is one of the key ingredients in this particular recipe. I always end up with too much of this cheese-that-doesn't-taste-like-cheese as so few recipes call for a whole tub. So I'm always pleased to find a recipe that I can add to my repertoire.

This was a nice pasta dish and one that was quick and simple to make. The flavour is quite plain - there's no cheese or garlic that you so often find in this sort of dish - but sometimes plain is good. And this was.

Rigatoni with Courgettes, Lemon and Basil

(adapted from Food for Living by Rachel Allen)

450g/1 lb rigatoni or other pasta shapes

2 tbsp olive oil

4 small or 2 medium courgettes, halved lengthways, seeds removed and thinly sliced at an angle

100g/4oz mascarpone cheese or soft cream cheese

3 tbsp milk

Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

3 tbsp torn or sliced fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water.

2) While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over a high heat, then add the courgettes. Cook for 3-4 minutes until just softened and lightly golden.

3) In a bowl, mix together the cheese, milk, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Add to the courgettes in the pan and toss together on the heat for 1 minute, until the cheese has melted (I actually took the pan off the heat when I added the cheese as it was starting to bubble away to nothing). Season to taste.

4) Drain the pasta, tip it into the frying pan and mix with the sauce. Divide between plates or bowls and scatter with the remaining basil before serving.

Serves 4

A Blue Cheese Tart

It's been a long time since I last paid a visit to one of my very favourite foodie places. Too long. I am, of course, referring to the fabulous, wish-I-lived-in-London, cookbook lovers dream, Books for Cooks in Notting Hill. For those of you who don't know, Books for Cooks is a shop entirely devoted to selling Cook Books. I know....I come over all funny just thinking about it! Aswell as selling books they also have a little test kitchen at the back of the shop where they try out two or three recipes every day, plus a selection of cakes. These are then served up to the lucky few who manage to find a seat at the handful of tables until it's all gone. They also host a variety of worskshops throughout the year. I haven't managed to attend one yet but this year I'm determined to schedule one in somewhere!

Aswell as selling other people's books, Books for Cooks also produce their own books which contain collections of the best-tasting recipes made in the test kitchen over the past year and as you might expect, these are a veritable treasure-trove of varied and wonderful recipes.

It was in one of these books that I found the following recipe. I was in a tart-making sort of mood and this was the one that appealed to me most.

Blue Cheese and Spinach Tart with Caramelised Onions

(adapted from A Taste of Australia - The Bathers Pavilion Cookbook by Victoria Alexander and Genevieve Harris. Brought to me via Books for Cooks Favourite Recipes from Books 1,2 and 3)

4 onions, finely sliced

90g/3oz butter

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

black pepper

125g/40z spinach leaves

175g/6oz blue cheese (Roquefort or Gorgonzola) crumbled

6 tbsp mascarpone

1 organic egg, beaten

24cm (91/2 inch) shortcrust pastry case, baked blind

(175g/6oz flour, pinch of salt, 90g/30z cold butter, 1 organic egg yolk)

1) Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a low heat, stir in the onions, salt and sugar and cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meltingly soft and deep golden brown. Season to taste.

2) Prepare the spinach by stripping the leaves of their stalks, then rolling up the leaves and slicing them into thin strips.

3) Mix together the mascarpone, blue cheese and egg until fairly smooth.

4) Spread the caramelised onions over the bottom of the pastry case, then press the spinach gently on to the top. Pour over the mascarpone mixture and spread it as evenly over the tart as possible so that the spinach is well covered and does not scorch.

5) Bake the tart at 190c/375f/Gas 5 until the mascarpone topping is puffed and golden (about 30 minutes).

Serves 4-6