Mary Berry's quick pasta dish, which she says "everyone loves," takes just 15 minutes to make and is ideal for busy weeknights when you want something quick and satisfying without compromising on flavour.
A Standby Supper for Busy Evenings
Instead of sticking to bolognese or pesto, Mary Berry is offering a delicious bowl that serves six people and is topped with crispy Parma ham. The recipe, originally published in Mary Berry Cooks, takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and 10 to 30 minutes to cook.
Mary Berry said of the recipe: "This is my standby pasta supper as it is so delicious, so quick, and everyone loves it. Great for everyday or for casual supper parties too. Its base is a crème fraîche pasta sauce, and it's topped with crispy Parma ham, which gives tons of flavour and great texture."
Ingredients and Method
To make the dish, you will need 350g of penne pasta, two packs of 80g Parma ham, 250g of small brown chestnut mushrooms, 200g of full-fat crème fraîche, 100g of Parmesan, two tablespoons of fresh parsley, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
To begin, fill a large pan with water and set it to boil. Add some salt before placing the penne in the boiling water. Cook according to the packet instructions, then once done, drain the pasta and set it aside.
Next, snip the Parma ham into small pieces. Begin heating a large frying pan until hot, then add the Parma ham and fry until it is crisp. Transfer half of the crispy ham to a plate and set it aside.
Finishing the Dish
For the next step, clean the chestnut mushrooms and halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Add them to the frying pan and fry for two minutes. Add the crème fraîche to the pan and bring it to the boil. Add the cooked pasta, grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.
Toss everything together over the heat until the pasta is well coated in the creamy sauce. Season well with salt and pepper and then serve immediately with either a green salad and crunchy bread on the side.
