There is nothing wrong with steaming dishes of baked lasagne, rich sauces and stuffed pastas, but in summer we should make the most of the season’s light, fresh ingredients to dress pasta.

If that is not temptation enough, summery recipes are mostly quick and easy to prepare, giving you more time for play.

A few points of housekeeping before we begin. Always cook pasta in lots of water: ideally, 1 litre per 100g. Add at least 1 tbsp of salt per 4 litres and make sure the water is boiling fast when you drop in the pasta.

You don’t need to add oil. Taste the pasta before the end of the cooking time specified on the packet, so that you don’t overcook it, and, once it is drained, stir in the sauce as soon as possible.

Grate parmesan fresh each time and use top-quality olive oil.

Recipes

Tagliatelle al limone

Crab spaghettini

Orechiette with ricotta, peas and mint

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue