If you want to serve a crowdpleaser of a dish, pasta is a wise choice –and no one will stop to think about whether or not they’re missing meat. Gennaro Contaldo’s new recipes show just how delicious this star ingredient can be

GENNARO’S PASTA

Ligurian swiss chard pansotti in walnut sauce, p34

In Italy, pasta is more than just a food – it’s a tradition and a way of life. No meal is complete without a plate of pasta, whether dried, fresh, filled, baked or served in a soup.

It’s made from the basic ingredients of flour and water, and Italy’s climate is ideal for cultivating durum wheat, which is used to make the all-important pasta flour. During my childhood, my home village of Minori, on the Amalfi coast, had a flour mill and a small pasta factory, and I have vague recollections of the pasta being dried on racks outdoors.

Then it would be packaged up in locally manufactured bright blue paper and sold on. Pasta is quick, simple and versatile.

Recipes range from spaghetti tossed in the speediest tomato or pesto sauce to more elaborate baked dishes or slow-cooked ragù sauces. You can make it to suit any occasion and budget, and everyone loves it. There are no limits to the joys of pasta.

I could quite happily eat it every day. I hope you’ll enjoy re-creating some of my favourite recipes, from the traditional classics to more updated versions of Italy’s greatest food. GENNARO CONTALDO

RECIPES GENNARO CONTALDO

PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID LOFTUS

FOOD STYLING ADRIANA CONTALDO

Pennette con lenticchie e funghi (penne with lentils and mushrooms)

SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN

MAKE AHEAD

Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot.

KNOWHOW

Castelluccio lentils, from Umbria, look similar to puy lentils. They’re rich, full of flavour and hold their shape well once cooked. Buy them from Italian delis, online from carluccios.com or use green or brown lentils instead.