Mary Berry’s 6-ingredient pasta recipe is perfect for midweek summer dinners

Mary Berry’s quick and easy pasta dish is perfect for midweek dinners

Mary Berry has unveiled numerous pasta recipes over the years, including lasagne and bolognese bake. However, when temperatures rise, her 15-minute pasta dish is perfect as it’s incredibly simple to prepare.

The recipe notes said: “This is my standby pasta supper as it is so delicious, so quick, and everyone loves it. Great for everyday use or casual supper parties, too.

“Its base is a creme fraiche pasta sauce, and it’s topped with crispy Parma ham, which gives tons of flavour and great texture.”

This recipe feeds six people and can be easily halved or doubled if you’d like leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 350g penne pasta
• Two 80g packs of Parma ham, snipped into small pieces
• 250g small brown chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 200g full-fat creme fraiche
• 100g Parmesan, grated
• Two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

To serve:

If you prefer to use reduced crème fraîche, simply stir it through at the conclusion of cooking; otherwise, it may split.

For special occasions, Mary suggests adding a pack of asparagus tips to the pasta four minutes before the pasta finishes cooking, then draining the pasta alongside the asparagus tips.

Method:

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water following the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a frying pan until hot, then add the Parma ham and fry until crisp.

Transfer half the ham onto a plate and set aside. Next, add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for two minutes.

Add the crème fraîche and bring to the boil. Then, add the pasta, Parmesan and parsley, tossing everything together over the heat. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Mary suggests serving the 15-minute pasta dish with some salad and crunchy bread.