Mary Berry has shared a simple 15-minute pasta recipe that is ideal for quick family midweek dinners. The former Great British Bake Off judge originally featured the dish in her book Mary Berry Cooks, and it has since been reshared by The Happy Foodie website, where it has received glowing reviews.
A Standby Supper for Families and Parties
Introducing the dish, Mary writes: "This is my standby pasta supper - great for everyday family meals or for casual supper parties too. If you don't have Parma ham, then Black Forest ham or Serrano ham work just as well."
One enthusiastic fan who tried the recipe at home wrote: "Have used this recipe for many years. I have always had friends and family ask for more. Sometimes I use cream cheese. Love it. One of my easy to make recipes."
Another delighted reviewer added: "I don't mind pasta but I'm not a massive pasta eater either, this could convert me - it is truly delicious and easy."
A third satisfied cook wrote: "First time trying this dish and it was very tasty and full of flavour. This will now become one of my go to dishes. Thank you Mary Berry for a quick delicious dish."
Ingredients and Method
The recipe serves six and requires 350g of penne pasta, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, two 80g packs of Parma ham snipped into small pieces, 250g of small chestnut mushrooms (halved or quartered), 200g of full-fat crème fraîche, 100g of grated Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Mary adds: "If you have leftover double cream, you can use this instead of crème fraîche. For special occasions add a pack of asparagus tips to the pasta four minutes before the end of cooking time, then drain with the pasta."
To make the dish, begin by cooking the pasta following the packet instructions, then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add half the Parma ham, cooking until it turns crisp, then set the crispy ham aside. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and cook for a few minutes, then pour in the crème fraîche and bring to the boil. Tip in the cooked pasta, Parmesan, uncooked ham and parsley, toss everything together over the heat and season to taste. Serve straight away, finishing with the crisped ham on top.
