next level recipes

Make the ultimate spaghetti carbonara with a creamy hollandaise-style sauce and crisp pancetta or guanciale. You can also mix in an egg yolk at the end

Next level spaghetti carbonara

olive oil

rindless unsmoked fatty pancetta

garlic clove, bashed

spaghetti or fettuccine

parmesan, finely grated

truffle oil (optional)

First, warm your serving dishes in a low oven or in the microwave. Heat the oil gently in a large, shallow pan. Fry the guanciale or pancetta and garlic for 10 mins, or until all the fat has rendered off and the meat is golden and crisp. Remove and discard the garlic clove, then turn off the heat.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a simmer and cook the pasta until it’s al dente (about a minute less than the pack instructions). Meanwhile, whisk 2 egg yolks in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.

Using kitchen tongs, lift the pasta from the water into the pancetta pan along with any dripping water. Use a wooden spoon to stir it into the rendered fat. If the pan looks dry, add a small ladleful of pasta water and mix it in. Keep adding until you see a little pasta water at the bottom of the pan – you’ll be surprised how much will be absorbed.

Working quickly, tip the beaten yolks in with the pasta and stir vigorously. Rinse the yolk bowl out with a little more pasta water and pour that in too. Add most of the parmesan and beat again. If at any time it’s becoming claggy or starting to scramble, pour in a little more water. If you’ve added too much, stir the pasta over the lowest heat for a few moments. You’re aiming for a smooth sauce that is the consistency of double cream. Season with a couple of pinches of ground black pepper and taste for salt.

Transfer the pasta to the warmed serving dishes, scatter over the remaining parmesan and nestle the last two egg yolks on top, if using. Season them with some salt and pepper, and drizzle over the truffle oil, if you have it, just before serving.

Put in the extra effort to make this cheese and onion pie and it's sure to please. With homemade pastry, it's as good to eat cold as it is warm

Cheese & onion pie

plain flour, plus extra for dusting

rye flour (or make up the weight with plain flour)

cayenne pepper

onion seeds

cold butter, cubed

egg, beaten

butter

onions,

bay leaves

thyme leaves

potato (about 350 grams), halved lengthways and sliced

milliliters double cream

extra mature cheddar, ½ grated, ½ chopped into small chunks

First, make the pastry. Tip the flours into a medium bowl with the cayenne, onion seeds, parmesan and a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then pour in half the egg and 2 tbsp cold water and bring everything together using your hands. Knead a couple of times until smooth. Flatten a third of the dough into a disc, then do the same with the remaining dough. Wrap both pastry discs and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until sizzling, then scatter in the onions, bay, thyme, a large pinch of salt and good grinding of black pepper. Stir, then cook slowly for 10 mins until the onions have cooked down and started to caramelise. Stir in the sliced potatoes, cover and cook for 8-10 mins more, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft and starting to break down. Stir in the cream, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, remove and discard the bay, then fold in the cheese.

Roll the smaller pastry disc out on a lightly floured surface to the size of a dinner plate and lift onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Roll out the remaining pastry disc along with any offcuts to a circle about 5cm wider than the first. Spoon the filling into the middle of the smaller circle on the baking sheet, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the exposed border with some of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the larger pastry circle. Tuck the edge around the filling to enclose it, as if making a giant ravioli. Trim the edge to neaten, then crimp with a cutlery knife handle or fork to seal. Brush the pie all over with most of the remaining beaten egg, and use any trimmings to make decorations, if you like.

Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 7. Bake the pie for 35-40 mins until deeply golden, brushing with the rest of the beaten egg halfway through. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 mins before cutting into wedges, or leave to cool completely and serve cold.

Try our next level recipe for crusty white bread - it takes a lot longer to prepare but the result will be the best loaf of bread you've baked at home

Crusty bread

strong white bread

fast-action dried yeast

fine sea salt, sea salt flakes or table salt

Tip the flour into a large bowl along with the yeast. Pour over 325g room-temperature water (you’ll get a more accurate amount by weighing the water, but you can also use 325ml, depending on your scales), then use your hands or a spatula to mix until a dough forms. It’s important that you ensure all of the flour is mixed in, including any bits around the side of the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Sprinkle over the salt, then work it in by stretching the dough over the salt several times until fully incorporated. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heel of one hand to stretch the dough while you hold it with your other hand. Then, fold the dough back onto itself, turn it 90 degrees to the left and repeat. Do this for about 5 mins, or until the dough looks shinier and immediately bounces back when rolled into a tight ball or gently poked. Roll the dough into a tight ball, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove at room temperature for 1 hr until doubled in size. Or, for a deeper flavour, transfer to a clean bowl, cover and leave to prove in the fridge overnight until doubled in size. Cold dough is easier to work with, so overnight is best.

When the dough has doubled in size and is light and pillowy, tip it out onto a work surface and knead it a few more times to knock the air out. Gather the dough into a ball and leave to rest for 5 mins. Gently form the dough ball into a tight, rounded shape on the work surface, then tip domed-side down into a proving basket or bowl lined with a clean tea towel. Leave to prove in a warm place for 40 mins-1 hr, or in the fridge for 2-3 hrs until roughly doubled in size.

Put a casserole along with its lid in the oven, then heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Once the oven is at temperature, remove the casserole. Flip the dough onto a square of baking parchment, slash it using a sharp knife and use the sides of the parchment to carefully lower the dough (still on the parchment) into the hot casserole. Cover with the lid. Bake for 25 mins. Remove the lid and bake for 5-10 mins more until it has a deeply golden, crisp crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack for 40 mins before slicing. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two days.

Seasonal vegetables are all slow-cooked together in a dish that truly celebrates summer. Serve with bread, or for a more substantial meal, as a side with barbecued or roasted meat or fish

Next level ratatouille

red peppers

basil

thyme

courgettes (different colours are good), roughly chopped

aubergine

red onion

garlic

sugar

tbsp red wine vinegar

cherry tomatoes

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sourdough

Heat the grill to high. Lay the pepper quarters skin-side up on a baking tray and grill until the skins are black and charred. Tip into a bowl, cover and leave to cool. Peel the charred skin off the peppers, then cut into strips, and toss back in the juices collected in the bowl. Tie the basil stalks and thyme sprig together using kitchen string and set aside.

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish and fry the courgettes and aubergine for 15 mins until nicely browned. You may need to do this in batches, adding more oil to the pan as needed so the pan is never dry.

Scoop the veg out of the pan and set aside. Add a drizzle more oil, tip in the onion and cook for another 15 mins until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and leave to sizzle for a moment. Scatter with sugar, then leave for a minute to caramelise and splash in the vinegar. Stir in the cooked vegetables along with the pepper juice, season generously, pour over the cans of tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer.

Nestle in the herbs, cover the dish and transfer to the oven for 1 hr. Remove the lid and give it another 30 mins until everything is cooked down and jammy. Leave the ratatouille to cool until just warm, then stir through most of the basil leaves and the extra virgin olive oil. Scatter with the rest of the basil and serve with griddled sourdough.

Looking for a make-ahead dessert that delivers the wow factor without much effort? A pavlova is your best bet, and we've created the ultimate version with summer berries

Pavlova

½ lemon, juiced (you’ll need 1 tbsp juice; reserve the squeezed lemon half)

caster sugar

tsp cornflour

strawberries, hulled and halved

tbsp icing sugar

lemon juice

raspberries

redcurrants (optional)

mint

full-fat crème fraîche

icing sugar

vanilla extract

If you’re using fresh eggs and you have time, freeze the egg whites, then defrost completely (see tip, ‘freeze for ease’, below). Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and heat the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½. Using a 20cm cake tin or plate as a guide, draw a circle on the parchment, then flip it over.

Rub the reserved lemon half around the inside of a large bowl. Tip in the egg whites and whisk using an electric whisk until small, foamy bubbles form, about 1-2 mins. Continue to whisk until the egg whites resemble shaving foam, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the meringue is thick and glossy. Rub a dab between your fingertips – if you can feel any grains of sugar, keep whisking for a few minutes more. Add the cornflour and lemon juice, then whisk for another 30 seconds.

Spoon the meringue mix into the middle of the circle template, then use a palette knife to spread it out to fill the circle, creating a dip in the middle (this will hold the topping later). Run the palette knife up the edges at regular intervals to create ridges, if you like. Bake for 1 hr, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool completely with the door shut (if you can, leave it overnight).

For the topping, tip the strawberries into a bowl, dust with the icing sugar and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Mix together and leave to stand for 30 mins. Meanwhile, whisk the ingredients for the cream together until thick and pillowy. Gently stir the raspberries and redcurrants, if using, through the strawberries. Spoon the cream into the middle of the pavlova, then top with the fruit, drizzling over any juice. Scatter over the mint or basil before serving.

Discover the secrets to a great chicken pie. We use an easy one-pan filling, and bake it in a cake tin so it can be easily turned out and cut into neat wedges

Next level chicken pie

leek, finely sliced

skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

thyme sprig, leaves picked

tbsp plain flour

milliliters white wine

chicken stock

milliliters crème fraîche

mustard

butter,

self-raising flour,

Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Add the leek, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10-12 mins until the chicken is cooked, the leeks have softened, and the mixture is simmering. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 mins until the mix resembles a sandy paste. Pour in the wine or sherry, and bubble for 1 min, then stir in the stock, crème fraîche or cream and the mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Tip into a container and chill for 2 hrs, or overnight. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with a large pinch of salt until completely combined. Add half the beaten egg and 4 tbsp ice-cold water, and bring together into a dough using your hands, adding a little more water if needed. Knead for a minute so it completely comes together, then chill for 1 hr.

Butter a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Roll two-thirds of the pastry out until large enough to line the tin with some overhanging. Use it to line the tin, then spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry until large enough to cover the pie. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the pie to close it. Trim the edge, then press with a fork to seal. Chill until you’re ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 with a baking sheet inside. Brush the pie with some of the remaining beaten egg, then lightly score a criss-cross pattern on top using a sharp knife. Bake on the hot sheet for 20 mins, then brush with the rest of the egg, season with sea salt flakes and bake for 15-20 mins more until deep golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, put on a board and cut into wedges to serve.

Top 6 next level recipes recipes from across the web

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Next level spaghetti carbonara

Cheese & onion pie

Crusty bread

Next level ratatouille

Pavlova

Next level chicken pie

Top 6 next level recipes recipes from across the web

The most viewed next level recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Next level spaghetti carbonara

Cheese & onion pie

Crusty bread

Next level ratatouille

Pavlova

Next level chicken pie

The most viewed next level recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine