She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1983 – like a rolling ocean wave in cross-section with internal rugosities, but unsuccessful and no longer produced.

It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and the end result is savory, creamy, with hints of nutmeg and delicious bright spinach. Toss it up with penne and throw in some smoked chicken and plump cherry tomatoes, and you have an immensely satisfying treat right there! Follow our tips below on how to boil pasta and the various cooking times for achieving that perfect al dente result.

Don’t rush the sauce: After you add the cheese to the half and half mixture, it will take a couple of minutes for the sauce to thicken. I love carbs and could never get onto one of those low-carb diets out there, so if you’re looking for more pasta recipes, I’m happy to share also my vegan pasta recipes or this terrific collectionof 13 Super Quick Pasta Recipesready in less than 15 minutes. It's rare to find a pasta dish with a good level of spice, and the jerk seasoning in this recipe does just that. Just cook the tuna with a jar of passata (a puree of uncooked ripe tomatoes), basil, kalamata olives, and voila. They are often used in similar dishes as rotelle or fusilli because their shape works well with thicker sauces.

Drain the Pasta: Once the penne is cooked to your liking, carefully pour the contents of the pot into a colander or a pasta strainer and allow the water to drain. Most dried pasta cooks in about 10 mins – a few minutes less and it will be chalky and tough, a few minutes more and you’ll end up with a slimy mush. Mexican crema and cotija can be found in most supermarkets and Spanish markets, but if you are having trouble finding them, sour cream and feta make great substitutes too. It’s easy to find, its cylindrical shape and slight ridges means it goes well with any pasta sauce, and we think its pointed ends give it a touch of grown-up class (sorry, rigatoni). After about 8 mins of boiling carefully fish a piece or strand of pasta out of the pan, allow it to cool and taste it.Use a large, high sided saucepan and add at least 500ml, or up to 1 litre of water per 100g dried pasta (depending on the capacity of your pan).