Recipes

Nigella Lawson

There was a time, years ago, when this was on my table pretty much whenever I had friends over for a lazy Saturday lunch. And I love it still. It’s simple and undemanding to make, and can equally offer summer sprightliness or winter comfort, and in summer you might certainly consider scattering over basil on serving, along with the parsley. The sauce itself (rather like the eggs in a carbonara) is not actually cooked, but warmed through as it’s tossed fragrantly with the hot pasta. I find when cooking such an amount of pasta (though bear in mind that this recipe halves easily enough), it is always a good idea to put the pan on to boil quite a bit before you think you need to. Once it’s come to the boil, you can switch off, cover the pan, and know that you are almost ready to go. And finally, may I suggest that with the two egg whites you have left over, you make a batch of Forgotten Cookies within two days, if the egg whites are kept covered in the fridge... And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Summer

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Summer

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Although this started off life as a variant of the Lemon and Elderflower Drizzle Cake in Cook, Eat, Repeat, it is this iteration which I’ve chosen to share with you here. I cannot urge you towards it too strongly: zingily uplifting as well as gorgeously comforting — and relaxingly easy to make into the bargain — it is the perfect Sunday lunch pud. Though having said that, there’s not a day I wouldn’t be ecstatic to eat it. Should you want to make the drizzle cake version, proceed as below, only leave out the Greek yogurt altogether and bake the batter in a 20cm square tin, lining the bottom and sides with baking parchment first. (You could use a 20cm round Springform tin, in which case, just line the base and butter the sides.) Oven temperature and baking time are the same for both pudding and cake. As soon as the cake has come out of the oven and is sitting in its tin on a wire rack, prick the cake all over and pour over the lemon & elderflower drizzle as per step 5 below but, unlike with the warm pudding version, leave to get cold and then sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top before cutting into slabs. Whichever way you choose to go, this is a profound joy. I have just a couple more things to tell you before I leave you to it. I use rice flour for this, not primarily because it makes it gluten-free, but because I marginally prefer it this way. However, if you don’t need it to be gluten-free and would have to go to the shops to get the rice flour, just use the plain flour you have in your cupboard. Finally: although this happily feeds 4-6 (depending on age and appetite) please don’t be put off making it should there be fewer of you; any leftovers can be microwaved most satisfactorily….

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Express

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Express

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Summer

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

This is what I make for my children’s birthday celebrations, for farewell suppers to send them off before they go away, and for the dinners to welcome them back when they come home again. It’s our family take on a traditional lasagne, though I’m not sure Italians would exactly welcome my deviations from the classical recipe. For one thing, I don’t make my own lasagne sheets; while I have in the past, I now routinely use dried ones out of a packet and, what’s more, I don’t boil them first. In order, then, to ensure they soften properly, I make a slightly more liquid meat sauce than is customary and, rather than have a covering of béchamel at the end, I finish with a layer of meat sauce, topped with chopped mozzarella on top. None of this is proper from a North Italian perspective, but the lasagne it yields is pleasure-giving and gratifyingly popular. I can’t say that this is exactly faff-free to make: but it is time-consuming rather than difficult. I adore pottering about the kitchen making it. What’s more, you can layer it up (bar the mozzarella topping) in advance (see notes) and bake when needed. And I make this even if there isn’t a whole tableful of people to eat it; I freeze leftovers in individual portions, to make for most superior ready-meals at a later date.

Nigella Lawson

I love the sort of dinner that you cook without any special effort but without sacrificing gratification. That

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson