Perfect your pasta with six Jamie Oliver recipes

The first thing to do is find yourself a casserole pan or earthenware dish that will snugly hold all your cannelloni standing upright, as shown in the picture opposite. I used one that’s 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep, if you want to be precise — and in this recipe, being precise helps!

Preheat the oven to 375°F. To make your ragú, put your dried porcini in a bowl and just cover them with boiling water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put a large heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat and add the olive oil, carrots, celery, onion and leek. Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic and Portobello mushrooms. Remove the porcini from the bowl, add them to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes until the veg has softened. Strain the porcini liquor through a sieve and add this to the pan with a large wineglass of water. Allow the liquid to reduce slightly, then tip in your tomatoes and add your chopped basil stalks. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Simmer for up to 45 minutes, until you have a thick, rich vegetable ragú. Tear in the basil leaves.

In a saucepan, heat a splash of oil and add the spinach, stir, then leave to wilt down. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg and put aside. 

To make your quick white sauce, all you have to do is mix the cream, crème fraîche, anchovies and grated Parmesan. Then check the seasoning and that’s it! Now get out that dish or pan you located at the beginning of the recipe and spoon in ½ inch of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and top with the spinach. Carefully ladle over half your vegetable ragú and stand your cannelloni tubes in it. Press the tubes down into the sauce with the palm of your hand — the sauce will come up and half fill the tubes. Spoon over the rest of the ragú, smoothing it down into the holes. Pour over the remaining cheese sauce, sprinkle over some grated Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden and bubbly. Bloomin’ tasty. 

The first thing you need to do is make your pasta dough and put it in the fridge to rest while you make your filling.

From your pile of picked basil leaves, separate out the smaller delicate inner leaves and put them in a little cup of cold water. Put this to one side. Finely chop the larger basil leaves and the upper parts of the stalks, discarding the bottom half. Put half of this chopped basil into a bowl with your ricotta, grated nutmeg, olives and half the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and add a splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Put to one side until you are ready to fill your caramelle.

To make the sauce, gently heat a knob of butter with a splash of olive oil in a saucepan. When the butter starts to foam, add your sliced garlic and the rest of your chopped basil. A minute later add your tomatoes. Allow them to almost come to the boil, then simmer for up to 5 minutes until they have softened. You will be left with a lovely, fresh, rustic sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper and a tiny swig of balsamic vinegar.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add your caramelle. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to float, then carefully remove them to a colander using a spider or slotted spoon and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the caramelle to the simmering tomato sauce and gently toss around. Sprinkle in a handful of Parmesan, then gently shake around and place a lid on the pan for 30 seconds while you get the plates out. Divide your caramelle between the plates, sprinkle with the drained basil leaves and eat immediately. 

Preheat the oven to 400° F, then make your fresh pasta dough and get it in the fridge to rest.  In a pestle and mortar or Flavor Shaker bash up the coriander seeds, chillies and fennel seeds then mix in the cinnamon. Toss your chunks of butternut squash in olive oil and coat well with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and your smashed-up spices. Put the squash in a snug-fitting roasting tray, cover it with aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until soft and golden. 

Meanwhile you can roll out your pasta into a sheet and shape it into stained-glass lasagne. Place the sheets on a floured pan, with flour between each layer, in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.

When your squash is cooked, leave the skin on as it will be soft and sweet, and smash it all up in a large bowl. You want it to look like chunky baby food, so if you need to loosen it slightly then do so with a little water or vegetable stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper and either put it in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking, or get yourself a big pot of salted water on to boil and get cracking! Cook the herby lasagne sheets for around 2 to 3 minutes, then get your squash nice and hot by reheating it in a pan with good glug of olive oil.

To serve, simply smear half the squash across the bottom of your warmed serving plates.  Remove the cooked sheets to a bowl with a couple of splashes of the cooking water and carefully toss with butter and Parmesan. Take half the sheets out of the bowl and divide between your plates. Divide the rest of the squash on top and finish with the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle the rest of your herbs and a little finely chopped fresh chilli (if using) over the top, drizzle with a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil and serve immediately with a block of Parmesan and a grater on the table.