BolognaPappardelle10 minsBeef/Pork

Beef Cheek Ragù

Intro

A ragù worth waiting for. This is slow food in the truest sense. Beef cheek and a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, braised low and slow for three to four hours until the meat melts into the sauce.

Rich, deeply savoury and the kind of thing that makes the whole kitchen smell extraordinary.

Provenance

Ragù simply means meat sauce, and almost every region of Italy has their own version, each one fiercely defended as the only correct one. In Bologna it is the famous slow-cooked sauce of tagliatelle al ragù, the dish the world incorrectly calls spaghetti bolognese. In Naples it becomes a long Sunday affair, a whole piece of meat simmered for hours in tomato. In Calabria it is spiced and punchy. Each version tells you something about where it comes from.

Ours sits somewhere in the northern tradition. Beef cheek and minced meat braised low and slow, with red wine, tomatoes and a little milk added near the end. That last addition is borrowed from the Bolognese school of thought, softening the acidity and giving the sauce a richness that is hard to put your finger on but impossible to miss.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a pouch of slow-braised beef cheek ragù, a small pot of freshly grated Parmesan and your fresh pappardelle.

Sauce Ingredients: Chopped Tomatoes, Water, Beef Cheeks, Ground Beef, Red Wine (Sulphites), Whole Milk, Ground Pork, Brown Onion, Tomato Paste, Carrot, Celery, Olive Oil, Salt, Peppercorn. Contains: Milk, Sulphites

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Topping Ingredients: Parmesan (Milk). Contains: Milk

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Milk, Sulphites

Each kit is a double portion, 200g of pasta, 160g of sauce. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

How to cook

  1. Cook the fresh pappardelle in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender.

  2. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.

  3. While the pasta cooks, gently heat the ragù in a pan over medium heat until hot throughout.

  4. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well to coat every strand.

  5. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling.

  6. Serve immediately.

How to plate

  1. Warm your bowls before plating.

  2. Twirl the pappardelle into the bowl to form a loose nest.

  3. Spoon over any remaining ragù from the pan.

  4. Finish with the Parmesan from your pot and serve straight away.

Chef's tips

  • Salt your pasta water well. It should taste seasoned, not overpoweringly salty, but pasta needs properly salted water to taste its best.

  • Use a smaller pot where possible. Less water means starchier cooking water, which helps the sauce cling to the pasta.

  • Keep your pasta hot when adding the ragù. Everything comes together much more smoothly when the pasta is still steaming.

  • A splash of pasta water works wonders if the sauce feels too thick. It loosens and binds at the same time.

  • A drizzle of good olive oil to finish takes it even further.

RomaTagliatelle5 minsPorkJack's Pick

Carbonara Perfetta

Intro

Carbonara is the Queen of Roman pastas, (the word is feminine in Italian), and a staple on every menu in the eternal city.

It is one of the more technical dishes in the pasta world, with the sauce coming entirely from the emulsification of eggs, aged cheese and the rendered fat of cured pork.

We have spent a lot of time getting this one right, and we are quietly proud of where it has landed.

J
Jack's notes

Keep an eye out for some slight variations on Carbonara like Gricia, made without eggs and Cacio e Pepe, made without any meat.

Provenance

This recipe was born out of many long sessions with my friend Juri from Pesaro, an Italian cookbook called Italia Squisita, and a considerable amount of pasta. Italia Squisita asks high-profile Italian chefs for their take on the classics and is written entirely in Italian, which was half the fun.

You can see where Juri and I scrawled our notes all over our copy in the images.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a pouch of carbonara sauce with pancetta lardons already folded through, a small pot of freshly grated Parmesan, and your fresh pasta.

Sauce Ingredients: Evaporated Milk, Water, Egg Yolk, Pancetta, Parmesan (Milk), Pecorino Romano (Milk), Pancetta Fat, Peppercorn, Salt. Contains: Egg, Milk

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Topping Ingredients: Parmesan (Milk). Contains: Milk

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Milk

Each kit is a double portion, 200g of pasta, 160g of sauce. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

How to cook

  1. Cook the fresh tagliatelle in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender.

    Cooking step 1

  2. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining, do not skip this, it matters.

  3. Return the hot pasta to the pot and pour in the carbonara sauce.

  4. Toss continuously for 30 to 60 seconds until the sauce warms through and coats every strand.

  5. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen (This depends on how well you drained the pasta but I find about half a cup works well).

  6. Serve immediately, finished with the Parmesan from your pot and cracked black pepper.

How to plate

  1. Warm your bowls before plating, it makes more difference than you might think.

  2. Twirl the pasta into the bowl to create a loose nest.

  3. Spoon over any remaining sauce.

  4. Finish with the Parmesan from your pot and a generous crack of black pepper.

  5. Serve straight away; carbonara waits for no one.

Chef's tips

  • Cook your pasta in as little water as possible. The starch that builds up helps the sauce cling and come together, and is one of the tricks Roman restaurants use.

  • Do not microwave the sauce or let it boil in the pan. Gentle heat is all it needs, and it will thicken quickly once it hits the hot pasta.

  • Carbonara thickens fast as it cools, so have your bowls warm and everything ready before you drain the pasta.

  • The sauce can be quite rich and salty from the cheese and pancetta, so taste before adding any extra seasoning.

Tagliatelle5 minsVegetarianNew

Roasted Red Pepper Crema

Intro

Bright and smoky, this is one of those sauces that makes people ask what's in it. Roasted red peppers, charred until sweet and a little smoky, blended with soaked cashews until completely smooth and creamy.

It's plant-based, though you'd never guess. Finished with crispy pangrattato for texture and a drizzle of olive oil, it's one of our favourites on the menu.

Provenance

Red peppers have been grown across southern Italy and Sicily for centuries, roasted over open flames and folded into everything from antipasti to pasta sauces. The idea of blending them into a smooth, rich sauce sits somewhere between the Ligurian tradition of Pesto and the Spanish Romesco, a roasted pepper and nut sauce that has been made along the Mediterranean coast for generations.

We have borrowed a little from both. The cashews replace the cheese you might find in a traditional Italian version, giving the sauce its body and creaminess without any dairy. The result is something that feels genuinely Italian in spirit, even if it does not sit neatly in any single regional tradition.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a pouch of smoked pepper crema, a pot of crispy pangrattato and your fresh tagliatelle.

Sauce Ingredients: Roasted Red Peppers, Cashews, Water, Olive Oil, Sundried Tomatoes (Sulphites), Red Wine Vinegar (Sulphites), Salt, Roasted Red Chilli, Garlic, Smoked Paprika, Sugar, Black Pepper, Smoke Flavouring. Contains: Cashews, Sulphites

Pangrattato Ingredients: Fresh Breadcrumbs (Wheat, Soy), Olive Oil, Salt. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Soy

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Topping Ingredients: Pangrattato. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Soy

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Soy, Cashews, Sulphites

Each kit is a double portion, 200g of pasta, 160g of sauce. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

R
Rosie's notes

Whilst the sauce is completely vegan, the pasta contains eggs. Please bear this in mind when serving guests.

How to cook

  1. Cook the fresh tagliatelle in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender.

  2. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.

  3. Return the hot pasta to the pot or a warm pan and spoon in the crema.

  4. Toss continuously for 30 to 60 seconds until the sauce warms through and coats every strand.

  5. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen.

  6. Serve immediately.

How to plate

  1. Warm your bowls before plating.

  2. Twirl the tagliatelle into the bowl to form a loose nest.

  3. Spoon over any remaining crema from the pan.

  4. Scatter the pangrattato generously over the top.

  5. Finish with a crack of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Chef's tips

  • Do not heat the crema separately. Like a carbonara, the heat of the pasta is all it needs. Add it straight to the hot pasta and toss quickly.

  • The pangrattato goes on at the very last moment, just before serving. Add it too early and it loses its crunch.

  • A generous drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil at the end makes a real difference here.

  • Salt your pasta water well. The sauce is subtly seasoned and properly salted pasta makes a noticeable difference to the finished dish.

  • This sauce is plant-based, to keep the dish totally vegan pair with a dried pasta (or spread on toast like Jack does).

Tagliatelle5 minsVegetarian

Sugo di Pomodoro

Intro

There is a version of this sauce in every Italian kitchen, and every cook will tell you theirs is the definitive one. Ours is built on a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, cooked down slowly before the tomatoes go in. Red wine, garlic, fresh basil and oregano. Nothing complicated, nothing unnecessary.

The kind of sauce that makes you realise good pasta does not need much.

Provenance

Every region of Italy has its own version of tomato sauce. Naples keeps it simple, barely cooked, bursting with fresh tomato. Rome adds garlic and chilli. Further north it becomes richer, slower, more structured.

Our version takes its time over the soffritto and the wine before the tomatoes go in, adding the fresh herbs in two stages so you get both depth and brightness in the finished sauce.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a pouch of sauce, a small pot of freshly grated Parmesan and your fresh tagliatelle.

Sauce Ingredients: Chopped Tomatoes, Water, Sofrito (Brown Onion, Carrot, Celery), Carrot, Red Wine (Sulphites), Tomato Paste, Olive Oil, Garlic, Fresh Basil, Fresh Oregano, Salt, Peppercorn. Contains: Sulphites

Pangrattato Ingredients: Fresh Breadcrumbs (Wheat, Soy), Olive Oil, Salt. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Soy

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Soy, Sulphites

Each kit is a double portion, 200g of pasta, 160g of sauce. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

How to cook

  1. Cook the fresh tagliatelle in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender.

  2. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.

  3. While the pasta cooks, gently heat the sauce in a pan over medium heat until hot throughout.

  4. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss well to coat every strand.

  5. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling.

  6. Serve immediately.

How to plate

  1. Serve immediately.

  2. Twirl the tagliatelle into the bowl to form a loose nest.

  3. Spoon over any remaining sauce from the pan.

  4. Finish with the Parmesan from your pot and serve straight away.

Chef's tips

  • Heat the sauce gently. A hard boil will cook off the fresh herb brightness we have worked to keep in there.

  • Salt your pasta water well. It should taste seasoned, not overpoweringly salty, but pasta needs properly salted water to taste its best.

  • A drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil right at the end makes a real difference. It enriches the sauce and gives it a lovely sheen.

  • Fresh pasta cooks fast. Have your sauce hot and your bowls warm before the pasta goes in the water, not after.

  • This sauce reheats beautifully. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days and are just as good the next day.

Filled8 minsVegetarian

Funghi Ravioli

Intro

Handmade ravioli filled with a slow-cooked mushroom mixture that is part coarse, part smooth, with a depth of flavour that takes time and patience to achieve.

Finished with a sage butter that is browned until nutty and fragrant, this is one of those dishes that the Purists are famous for.

Provenance

Stuffed pasta has been made across northern Italy for centuries, with each region claiming its own version. In Piedmont it is agnolotti, in Emilia it is tortellini, in Lombardy it is ravioli. The shape changes but the principle is always the same: good pasta dough, a well-seasoned filling, and something simple but considered to dress it with.

Mushrooms have long been a staple of the Italian kitchen, particularly in the forested regions of the north where porcini, chanterelles and ovoli grow in abundance. Our filling uses a blend of mushrooms with butter, garlic, thyme and a little port reduction, giving it a richness and complexity that sits beautifully against the simplicity of the sage butter.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a tray of handmade mushroom ravioli and a pot of browned sage butter.

Filling Ingredients: Mushrooms, Mushroom Soy Sauce (Wheat), Cream Cheese (Milk), Unsalted Butter (Milk), Port Reduction (Sulphites), Garlic, Potato Flakes, Thyme. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Milk, Sulphites

Sage Butter Ingredients: Unsalted Butter (Milk), Fresh Sage, Salt. Contains: Milk

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Milk, Soy, Sulphites

Each kit is a double portion, 16 filled ravioli, 20g of flavoured butter. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

How to cook

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil.

  2. Add the ravioli and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the pasta is tender and the filling is hot throughout.

  3. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.

  4. Return the drained ravioli to the pot and add the browned sage butter.

  5. Swirl and toss gently to emulsify the butter into a sauce, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to loosen.

  6. Serve immediately.

How to plate

  1. Warm your bowls before plating.

  2. Arrange the ravioli in the bowl, taking care not to break them.

  3. Spoon over any remaining browned sage butter from the pan.

  4. Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve straight away.

Chef's tips

  • Keep the boil gentle. A rolling boil can cause ravioli to split. A soft simmer is all you need and makes a real difference to the finished result.

  • The browned sage butter will melt quickly into the hot pasta. Have your bowls warm and everything ready before you drain.

  • Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if needed to keep the water temperature steady and prevent the ravioli from sticking together.

  • Fresh ravioli is more delicate than dried pasta. Handle it gently when draining and tossing so you keep everything intact.

  • Where the Ravioli is sealed, the pasta is twice as thick. Check this is cooked to your liking before draining!

Emilia-RomagnaFilled8 minsPorkRosie's Pick

Spinach & Prosciutto Ravioli

Intro

A classic of the Emilian table, these handmade ravioli are filled with whipped ricotta, wilted spinach and a little crispy prosciutto for depth and savouriness. Delicate, light and elegant. Finished with a browned tomato butter that is rich & nutty, it is the kind of dish that does not need much else.

This one is Rosie's favourite.

Provenance

Spinach and ricotta filled pasta is one of the oldest and most beloved combinations in the Italian kitchen, found in some form across Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lombardy. Each region has its own name for it and its own particular way of making it, but the filling is almost always a variation on the same theme: good ricotta, well-seasoned greens and something to give it a little lift.

Our version adds prosciutto, baked until completely crisp and then ground fine so it disappears into the filling giving a savoury depth. A little lemon, a little nutmeg, a little aged Parmesan. Nothing more than it needs.

Ingredients

Your kit contains a tray of handmade spinach and prosciutto ravioli and a pot of browned tomato butter.

Filling Ingredients: Ricotta (Milk), Spinach, Parmesan (Milk), Prosciutto, Lemon Rind, Salt, Peppercorn, Nutmeg. Contains: Milk

Pomodoro Butter Ingredients: Unsalted Butter (Milk), Marinara Sauce (Sulphites), Salt. Contains: Milk, Sulphites

Pasta Ingredients: High Grade Flour (Wheat), Durum Flour (Wheat), Whole Egg, Egg Yolk. Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg

Full dish contains: Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Milk, Sulphites

Each kit is a double portion, 16 filled ravioli, 20g of flavoured butter. Because good food is always better with someone else at the table. Or just you, twice.

How to cook

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil.

  2. Add the ravioli and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the pasta is tender and the filling is hot throughout.

  3. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.

  4. Return the drained ravioli to the pot and add the browned tomato butter.

  5. Swirl and toss gently to coat, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to loosen.

  6. Serve immediately.

How to plate

  1. Warm your bowls before plating.

  2. Arrange the ravioli in the bowl, taking care not to break them.

  3. Spoon over any remaining butter from the pan.

  4. Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve straight away.

Chef's tips

  • Keep the boil gentle. A rolling boil can cause ravioli to split. A soft simmer is all you need and makes a real difference to the finished result.

  • Careful with salting the water for this one. The filling has prosciutto and parmesan, both salty and the brown butter is also seasoned.

  • The browned tomato butter will melt quickly into the hot pasta. Have your bowls warm and everything ready before you drain.

  • Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if needed to keep the water temperature steady and prevent the ravioli from sticking together.

  • Fresh ravioli is more delicate than dried pasta. Handle it gently when draining and tossing so you keep everything intact.

  • Where the Ravioli is sealed, the pasta is twice as thick. Check this is cooked to your liking before draining!