Five knockout Italian dishes in under 30 minutes

Big Mamma knows that the best Italian food is big on flavour but low on effort. From creamy vodka rigatoni to fiery spaghetti all’arrabbiata, these five knockout dishes come together in under 30 minutes – and yes, there’s plenty of cheese. There’s a reason Italian food has an entire nation wrapped around its little finger. It’s rich but not fussy, indulgent but efficient. The best dishes? They’re about big flavour, minimum effort – and usually, plenty of cheese.

The Big Mamma group has mastered the art of quick, knockout Italian cooking, and here are five of their best dishes, all ready in under 30 minutes. There’s a fiery arrabbiata, a vodka-soaked disco of a rigatoni and a four-cheese gnocchi that might just make you weep with joy. There’s also a creamy porcini tagliatelle (because mushrooms are king) and a simple, basil-flecked orecchiette that proves sometimes, less really is more.

Tuck a napkin into your collar, crack open the Parmigiano, and let’s get cooking. Serves: 4. Ingredients:. 420g (1lb) fresh pasta (you could even make this yourself). 300g (11oz) ceps or porcini. 100g (3½ oz) button mushrooms. 50g (1¾ oz) oyster mushrooms. 1 garlic clove, crushed.

60g (2oz) butter. ½ bunch thyme. 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil. Pepper. Method:. 1. Let’s start by all agreeing that porcini are the best mushrooms in the world. But it is also important to take advantage of Mother Nature’s bounty and try more flavours, whilst being easy on the wallet. So we have no qualms with mixing it up with different types of shrooms. Variety is the spice of life.

2. Roll out the pasta dough to obtain a sheet 3mm (1/10 in) thick (this thickness is vital for texture and soaking up all the sauce). Fold it over 5 times (always in the same direction) then slice it horizontally with a knife in 1cm (1/3 in) strips to obtain tagliatelle. Set aside.

3. Wipe off any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp cloth (don’t wash them under a tap – they hate that!). Cut them into uniform slices. Heat the butter, thyme and garlic clove in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms and brown them over a high heat. Once they are cooked, remove the garlic.

4. Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes (no more). Drain and add straight to the saucepan with the mushrooms and mix in the olive oil. Serve in pretty pasta bowls. A minute to spare? Our chef Albi absolutely adores Parmigiano. Accordingly, he uses it at every stage: in the recipe itself, as a seasoning, and when he plates. We’ll let you decide whether you want to follow his example – you're the boss.

500g (1lb 1½ oz) rigatoni. 400ml (1 3/4cups) tomato sauce. 200ml (generous cup) single cream. 20g (¾ oz) butter. 1 shallot (not too small), chopped. ½ glass vodka. ½ bunch chives, chopped (optional). 1. Cook the rigatoni in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. In another saucepan, brown the shallot in the melted butter.

2. Deglaze the shallot pan with the vodka. Whilst you wait, pour yourself a shot. Cin cin! Add the tomato sauce and cream, and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. 3. Roughly drain the pasta (putting aside a little of the cooking water) and add it to the saucepan with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can add half a ladleful of the cooking water. Grind over a little pepper and, if you’re fond of greenery, sprinkle over some chives, too – this is truly a disco recipe!.

For the gnocchi:. 1kg (2¼ lb) good-quality potatoes. 350g (2½ cups) bread flour (Type 1 Italian flour). For the seasoning:. 400g (1¾ cups) Parmigiano fondue. 200g (7oz) gorgonzola. 100g (3½ oz) fior di latte (or mozzarella). 150g (½ cup) ricotta. 150g (5½ oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated.

1. The gnocchi: wash the potatoes, with their skins still intact. Put salted cold water in a saucepan, bring it to the boil and then add the potatoes, simmering them until they are ready (do not allow the water to come to the boil while they are cooking, as their skins could split). Drain the potatoes, then peel and mash them till smooth (don’t swear! And avoid using a fork). Add the egg and flour, and knead the resulting dough by hand. Be fast as lightning here, so the potatoes don’t cool down.

2. Roll this dough into sausages about 40cm (16in) long and 2cm in diameter. Use a knife to cut them into gnocchi around 2cm long. Put them in salted boiling water and cook until they rise to the surface. Drain them with a skimmer (if you don’t have one, use a sieve – just get ’em outta the water) and transfer them to a bowl.

3. Now for the pièce de résistance. Add all the cheeses and the Parmigiano fondue to the gnocchi and mix. Transfer this mixture to an ovenproof dish or casserole and put under a medium grill for 15 minutes. Serve the gnocchi on a large plate, or straight from the dish. Enjoy – this dish is an absolute stunner.

A minute to spare? Did you know that forks almost became obsolete after the fall of the Roman Empire? Legend has it that this piece of cutlery is now used practically all over the world only because Italians clung on to it to eat their pasta. You’re welcome.