Making pasta can be a bit of a chore, but gnocchetti sardi (also known as malloreddus) is really easy. You don’t need a pasta machine – just mix, roll, shape and cook. Unlike most other types of home-made pasta, which contain eggs, the dough for these shells is made from flour and water, giving the pasta a firmer texture. The shells are best served with a chunky sauce such as a ragù made from...

I know that this may sound very strange to you, using black pepper in a white chocolate mousse, but believe you me, this is a dessert that all your friends will talk about. This recipe is easy, very tasty and definitely has the 'wow' factor, but make sure you use a good quality chocolate. You can also serve it straight from the freezer like a semi-freddo.

This is the real thing. The genuine ragù, as it is made in Bologna, is a mouthwatering meat sauce that includes different types of mince, including pork and beef, slowly cooked in a tomato and vegetable sauce. In Italy, this sauce is only ever served with broad, flat pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine and never with spaghetti.

In our family, the combination of chocolate and banana is a big winner, especially in pancakes or cupcakes, so I created this soufflé just for a change. It's really easy to prepare, and also works well with strawberries or raspberries.