Enjoy these delicious pasta recipes from Barilla pasta and Great British Chefs.

Barilla is Italy's number one pasta and has been made in Parma using traditional methods for 140 years.

Whole wheat penne rigate with kale, chilli, garlic and Pecorino Romano by Valeria Necchio

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

  • 300g of kale, chopped
  • 400g of whole wheat penne rigate
  • 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, large (minced)
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 50g of Pecorino Romano, grated
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

1) Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the kale for 1 minute to tenderise it, then drain with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of iced water to preserve its brightness. Drain again, pat dry, and set aside.

2) Let the water come back to a rolling boil and add the penne. Cook until al dente, stirring it a couple of times to avoid it sticking to the bottom.

3) Meanwhile, place a large skillet over a medium heat. Pour in the oil and, when hot, stir in the garlic and chilli. Fry for a minute – just long enough for the garlic to infuse the oil without burning. Add the kale and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until just tender but still holding its shape and colour.

4) Once cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the kale. Sauté for 30 seconds or until well coated in the garlic and chilli oil. Season to taste, top with Pecorino Romano and serve immediately.

Lamb ragù lasagna by Paul Ainsworth

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 3–4 hours to slow cook the lamb shoulder

Serves: 4

  • Pulled lamb shoulder
  • 1kg lamb shoulder
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
  • 3 sprigs of rosemary
  • olive oil
  • rock salt

To finish the ragù

  • 125g of smoked pancetta lardons
  • 250g of carrots, finely diced
  • 250g of celery, finely diced
  • 250g of onion, finely diced
  • 1 bottle of red wine
  • 1 tbsp of tomato purée
  • 300g of passata
  • 200ml of lamb stock, good quality
  • 6 plum tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin)
  • 50g of seaweed, (dry weight) rehydrated in water then finely chopped

Cheese sauce

  • 25g of butter
  • 25g of flour
  • 375ml of milk, warmed in a pan
  • 75g of Parmesan
  • 75g of fontina cheese
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt
  • Pepper

To assemble the lasagna lasagne pasta fresh basil Parmesan, to grate on top

1) Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2.

2) To begin, slow-roast the lamb shoulder for the ragù. Roughly break up the onion quarters and place in a baking tray, then sit the lamb shoulder on top. Using a small knife, make small incisions in the shoulder and stuff with the garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil, season with rock salt and cover with foil.

3) Roast for 3–4 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Whilst still warm, pull the meat into strands with 2 forks - you will need approximately 600g of meat for this dish, so use any extra you may have in sandwiches, curries or stews.

4) To make the ragù, sweat the carrots, celery, onion and pancetta until soft in a large pan.

5) Add one third of the red wine, reduce it right down then add the next third. Reduce again then add another third, then reduce again and add the final third. Add the tomato purée and stir for 5 minutes to cook out.

6) Add the passata, stock and half the tomatoes and reduce at a simmer for around 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

7) Fold through the rest of the tomatoes, the seaweed and pulled lamb shoulder. Simmer for a further 20 minutes, adding a little more stock to loosen if needed.

8) To make the cheese sauce, make a roux by melting the butter in a pan then folding in the flour. Stir on a low heat for a few minutes, then gradually whisk in the warmed milk.

9) Keep whisking until you have a silky, thick sauce. Then stir in the cheeses and mustard. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

10) Blanch your lasagne sheets in salted boiling water for a couple of minutes. This will make it easy to cut into shape if you are making individual portions.

11) Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

12) Now start to assemble the lasagna. If using individual dishes per person, cut the lasagne sheets neatly to fit the dishes (3 or 4 layers). Start with a layer of lamb ragù, followed by cheese sauce then the pasta. Repeat 3 times, the final layer should be the cheese sauce. Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling on top.

13) Finish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

Crab and lemon pennette rigate by Rosana McPhee

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

  • 200g of whole wheat pennette rigate
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 150g of broad beans, podded, peeled and blanched
  • 100g of asparagus, tips only
  • 6 crab claws, or 125g meat

Sauce

  • 45ml of extra virgin olive oil, good quality
  • 1 lemon, peel and juice
  • 2 sprigs of oregano
  • 15g of chives, finely chopped
  • 8g of parsley, finely chopped

1) You can purchase the crab claws from the fishmonger fresh or ready prepared. If cooking at home, simply place in salted boiling water over medium–high heat for 4–5 minutes, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process.

2) Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

3) Meanwhile, start the sauce by heating the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook slowly over a medium heat until soft. Add the cooked broad beans, asparagus tips and 30ml of water and cook the vegetables for 3–4 minutes.

4) Drain the pasta and keep warm so that it can absorb the lemon and olive oil sauce.

5) When the vegetables are cooked but still have a slight bite to them, add the lemon juice and zest and the chopped herbs. Switch off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

6) Tip the cooked pasta into the pan and mix well, coating the pasta evenly. Gently place the crab meat on top. Allow it to warm through for 2 minutes then serve.