Pasta dish

This light, flavourful pasta, salmon and asparagus salad recipe is a perfect fuss-free lunch or dinner. Featuring lemony dressing, creamy ricotta and vibrant peas, this dish is sure to hit the spot

To prepare eggs, place in a small saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Drain. Cool under cold running water. Peel and chop. Note

To skin frozen broad beans, blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, refresh under cold water and peel off grey outer skin. Note

Add onion and a little sliced bacon or ham to the mixture. Note

Canned crabmeat can be used instead of fresh. Note

This fresh, delicious pasta salad recipe sees tender baby beets, creamy feta and grilled zucchini come together flawlessly for a perfect sharing dish or light dinner

For homemade Italian comfort these tasty beef meatballs are simmered in an easy Italian tomato sauce to create a delicious spaghetti and meatballs recipe brought to you by Australian Table.

The secret to making ricotta gnocchi is to dry the ingredients as much as you can before using them. Drain off any excess water from the ricotta by placing it in a strainer over a bowl and leaving it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using. Note

Chicken, beef or pork could be used in place of veal. Note

Use spaghettini if preferred – it is skinny spaghetti, which cooks faster than regular spaghetti. Note

If desired, use a prepared pesto of choice and add fresh basil and parmesan. Note

This quick and scrumptious tuna and macaroni mornay is laced with a creamy white sauce topped with a scattering of cheddar cheese and baked until golden. Serve with a fresh side salad.

If using frozen crab meat, leave in the fridge overnight to thaw, and squeeze out any excess water before using. Note

Use regular tomatoes, cut into 2cm pieces. Substitute 400g penne or fusilli for gnocchi if you like. Roast vegetables ahead; reheat and toss with gnocchi just before serving. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Use bottled marinated capsicum if you like. Note

Replace grape tomatoes with regular, chopped tomatoes. Use any small pasta shapes. Store salad and dressing separately; combine just before serving. Note

A classic Italian favourite, this beef mince and pasta dish is beautiful served up with a fresh garden salad.

A classic Italian pasta dish that is loved by all, this meat and tomato based sauce is beautiful tossed through perfectly cooked spaghetti for a quick and easy family dinner.

You can make pesto up to 3 days ahead, store, covered, in the fridge. Note

Cut into portions. Wrap portions individually in a double layer of plastic food wrap; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight. Reheat on a baking tray; covered with foil. Bake in on oven preheated to 180°C/160°C fan forced for 15-20 minutes or until heated. Note

Vegetarian: Replace crab with corn kernels. For a spicy version, leave seeds in chillies. Used canned prawns, tuna or canned diced chicken instead of crab. Omit chilli and add finely chopped dill. Note

Make breadcrumbs with sandwich bread instead of sourdough. You’ll need 2 slices of bread to make 1 cup of crumbs. Vegetarians can replace salmon with 400g drained, rinsed cannellini beans. Note

Make ahead: Bake cannelloni up to a day ahead. To reheat, preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced for 10 minutes or until heated. Note

You can use parsley instead of dill. Low GI: Omit pasta. Serve with green salad. Note

To freeze lasagne, let cool, then freeze individual portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight. You will need half a cooked chicken, skin and bones removed. Note

Farfalle is a bow-tie-shaped pasta, but you can use any type of pasta. Toss sliced basil through pasta, if desired. Note

Any leftover cooked pasta can be used instead of tagliatelli or fettucine. Note

Freeze any remaining lasagne sheets for another use. You can slice the sheets into tagliatelle or fettuccine-shaped pasta and serve with a sauce. Note

The combination of hearty tomato sauce, oozy melted cheese and crumbed chicken is absolutely delicious, especially when baked. Enjoy this delicious dish straight out of the oven for a tasty family dinner.

Try cooking these in a toasted sandwich plate. Quesadillas are delicious hot from the oven but also perfect to take for work lunch. They reheat easily in the microwave or can be eaten at room temperature. While they are filling on their own, they could also be served alongside a meaty dish such as chilli con carne. Serves 4, ready in 50min.

Special macaroni cheese

Note: Conchiglie is a shell-shaped pasta, available in several sizes. Conchiglioni is the large version, which works well with chunky sauces and when stuffed or baked. If unavailable, substitute any short pasta, such as rigatoni or penne. Note

Warm, creamy and hearty, this tasty four-cheese penne dish is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a family dinner on a cooler evening.

Parsley stalks have a lovely flavour, so don’t throw them away! Discard the tough bottom 5cm and finely chop from about halfway up the stalk. Add parsley stems to the pan with the garlic when cooking pasta sauces. Note

Sicilian olives are large green olives with a mild salty flavour and a lower oil content than black olives. To remove seeds, press the flat side of a large knife down onto the olive and slam down with the palm of your hand. Note

You can sauté a chopped onion before adding the mince to the pan. Put a chopped carrot and zucchini in the mix to sneak some extra vegetables into your family’s diet If you have some, add a little red wine to the sauce. Note

Frozen broad beans are sold in 500g packets. They are shelled from their pods but the tough outer membrane still requires peeling. After blanching, they are easily squeezed off. Note

This salad can be made at least a day in advance. To char-grill zucchini, slice thinly lengthwise. Spray with oil and cook on a preheated char-grill for 2-3 minutes each side. Toss in a little olive oil if liked. Note

Mushroom rag pasta

Use sliced asparagus in place of spinach when in season and good value. Note

Chicken, broccoli and tasty cheese are a divine combination in this mouth-watering pasta bake. Fresh green salad or steamed vegetables would make the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Prepare in advance: Prepare this dish up to the end of step 4. When ready to serve, combine everything over a low heat and serve straight away. Accompany with a green salad. Note

Kumara could be used in place of pumpkin. Add other fresh vegetables of choice, or use frozen options. Note

If cooking from frozen, remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Discard foil. Top with parmesan and bocconcini. Bake for further 15-20 minutes, until bubbling and golden . For a tomato-based version, replace sauce recipe with 700ml jar of tomato passata. Note

You can try other combinations such as cherry tomatoes, bacon and parsley or asparagus and mushrooms. Note

A fantastic and delicious honey mustard chicken risoni recipe to add to your mid-week meal rotation. A complete meal made in one pot that is on the table in less than 30 minutes.

For a cheaper version, replace backstraps with lean lamb leg steaks. Note

Replace ras el honout with Moroccan seasoning. Shredded barbecued chicken is also delicious in this dish. Note

Quick, simple and packed full of delicious flavours and textures, this tasty pasta dish is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner for the whole family.

Quail eggs are available in some supermarkets and speciality shops. If you can’t find them, use small hen eggs. If desired, top with parmesan croutons – remove crusts from continental bread, cut bread into cubes, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, then bake 8-10 minutes on a foiled-lined tray in […]

It is important to stir the pasta once or twice after adding to the boiling water to help prevent sticking – a few drops of oil added to the water is a good idea too. Note

There's loads of flavour in this quick, throw-it-together spaghetti with leeks, bacon and chilli. This is the perfect recipe to have on hand when you need to cook a mid-week dinner in a hurry.

Risoni is a small, rice-sized pasta often used in Italian soups; it goes perfectly with a marinara sauce accompaniment as its texture allows the delicious seafood to remain the 'hero' of the dish.

For such an incredibly simple dish, this chilli and garlic spaghettini is just loaded with flavour, and crunch thanks to the toasted breadcrumbs. A great pick-me-up dish when you're short on time.

This spinach, bacon and pine nut pasta can be on the table in under 20 minutes. Pappardelle is a wide ribbon pasta perfect for this kind of dish but you can substitute fettuccine or tagliatelle, if preferred.

Rotolo is a pasta dish that's not nearly as well known as it should be, especially given how delicious it is. Lasagne sheets are used to make a filled roll that's either wrapped and boiled, or sliced and baked in sauce.

Penne matriciana is a simple peasant style pasta dish made with fresh tomato and bacon. It can be on the table in 30 minutes and is a tasty and satisfying meal that will please even the fussiest of eaters.

This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta is given something extra special when topped with fetta and freshly sliced spring onions. It can be on the dinner table in under half an hour which makes it a perfect midweek meal.

This vegetarian dish is bursting with flavour and perfect for a cool autumn night. It is lovely served with garlic bread and salad, or steamed green vegetables.

Fettuccine comes from the Italian word `fettucina’, meaning ribbon, because of its long, narrow shape. It goes especially well with creamy sauces; you can replace it with tagliatelle or other large egg noodles, if desired. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried pasta; you can find fresh pasta in most supermarkets in the refrigerated section. […]

Creamy, comforting and delicious, this baked penne with peas, mushroom and leek is what macaroni cheese wants to be when it grows up.

We used sun-dried capsicum pesto for this recipe, but any bottled “red” pesto, such as tomato, could be used. Note

This risoni and bean salad is robust enough for a light yet satisfying vegetarian lunch, or perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken or steak.

Before starting this recipe, boil the kettle so you have boiling water ready to go into the saucepan to cook the pasta. Note

Use barbecued chicken breast with the skin removed, leftover roast chicken, or pan-fried or poached chicken breasts. If making ahead of time, don’t dress the salad until ready to serve. We used a fat-free french vinaigrette, but dress the salad with your favourite fat-free dressing. Note

Make this delicious Italian-style broth with chicken & mushroom ravioli to impress dinner guests.

Simple yet special, the ideal dish to serve up to friends when you're celebrating in a relaxed style.

This is one of my all-time favourite pastas. I know it looks like a lot of anchovies, but trust me and cook them down slowly. This could well become your favourite pasta, too.

Pappardelle with silver beet, goat's cheese, chilli and lemon

There is only one thing that needs to be said here - my mum makes the best spaghetti bolognese in the world!

You can use the chopped meat from one barbecued chicken in this recipe instead of the tenderloins. Add it at the end of bacon becoming crisp and stir until hot. Recipe can be made several hours ahead to the end of step 5. From cold, bake, covered, at 200°C (180°C fan forced) for 30 minutes […]

Tender pumpkin and ribbons of zucchini are delicately flavoured with fresh sage to make this deep, layered vegetable lasagne.

While most of the smoked salmon we buy has been cold-smoked (cured at a low temperature for a fairly long time), hot-smoked salmon (cured at high temperatures for just a few hours) is generally more moist and not as salty; it doesn’t, however, have the same keeping properties as cold-smoked. Note