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Mary Berry shares favourite and 'quick' 15-minute pasta recipe

Mary Berry shares favourite and 'quick' 15-minute pasta recipe

Daily Record21-05-2025
Making a delicious dinner doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming. This is one of Mary Berry's favourite pasta dishes and it's ready in just 15 minutes
Pasta is a beloved dinner choice for many due to its speed, simplicity, and tastiness. Mary Berry's 15-minute pasta might just revolutionise your weekday dinners with minimal additional effort. The celebrity chef shared on BBC Food: "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. It's base is a crème fraîche pasta sauce and it's topped with crispy Parma ham, which gives tons of flavour and great texture." To whip up this dish, start by cooking the pasta in boiling salted water as per the packet's instructions.

Once done, drain the pasta and put it to one side. Then, get a frying pan hot and crisp up the Parma ham, reports the Express.

Set aside half of the ham, then toss mushrooms into the pan and cook them for a couple of minutes.
Mix in the pasta, parmesan, and parsley, tossing everything together on the stove and seasoning to taste.
Parma ham adds a sublime touch to any pasta dish, offering a tender texture and a sweet taste.
Although it may cost a bit more, this cured delicacy elevates the dish to a higher standard.

For serving, pair it with a fresh green salad and some crusty bread for a well-rounded, satisfying meal that's perfect for entertaining friends, family, or guests.
This straightforward recipe is easy to prepare and sure to impress your guests, making it well worth a go.

Here's what you'll need:
350g penne pasta.
2 x 80g packs Parma ham

250g small brown chestnut mushrooms
200g full-fat crème fraîche
100g Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Green salad

Crunchy bread
By following this recipe, you can elevate your quick pasta dish with minimal additional effort.
It comes after she issued a warning about choosing the right kind of butter for baking a cake.

With vast experience stretching from her training at Le Cordon Bleu to having authored over 70 cookbooks, the former Great British Bake Off judge knows that the choice of butter can significantly affect your baking outcomes.
When aiming for perfection in a homemade birthday cake or her signature Victoria sponge, it could make all the difference.
While you may think any choice of butter or spread will do the job, Mary said that's not the case. It's all about the right fat content.
Writing for BBC Good Food, Mary emphasised checking the label for one critical detail while at the grocery store rather than during baking at home.
The use of high-fat butter is crucial for Mary as it ensures cakes are light, moist, and tender.
Butter boasting a fat content above 75 per cent naturally possesses less water, which means it's better at maintaining those precious air pockets for the ideal texture
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