Cooking with Emma - Easy Recipes

🧀 GOURMET MAC AND CHEESE

✨ Sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Parmigiano — three-cheese sauce coating
every cavatappi spiral, finished with a golden toasted breadcrumb
crust and red pepper heat. This is mac and cheese at its absolute peak.

🛒 INGREDIENTS:
- 400g dry cavatappi pasta
- 200g sharp white cheddar, hand-grated
- 150g Gruyère, hand-grated
- 100g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (plus extra to finish)
- 60g unsalted butter
- 60g 00 flour
- 600ml whole milk
- 80g fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (plus extra to finish)
- Fine sea salt + coarse black pepper to taste
- Reserved pasta cooking water

🍳 HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. Hand-grate all three cheeses separately — keep distinct;
toast breadcrumbs in butter until golden, mix with red
pepper flakes and set aside
2. Boil cavatappi in well-salted water until al dente —
reserve pasta water before draining
3. Make béchamel — butter + flour roux, add warm milk
progressively until thick and ivory-white
4. Melt all three cheeses into béchamel progressively,
whisking until deep golden, ultra-glossy cheese sauce forms
5. Fold al dente cavatappi through cheese sauce until every
spiral is fully coated — loosen with pasta water splash
6. Transfer to cast-iron skillet, top with extra cheese,
toasted breadcrumb-pepper crust and Parmigiano — bake
at 200°C until golden-brown caramelized crust forms
7. Break the crust, pull and serve immediately

⏱ Time: 50 mins | 🍽 Serves: 4

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🍝 LASAGNA ALLA BOLOGNESE

✨ Golden béchamel crust, deep rich Bolognese ragù, layer upon layer
of pure Italian comfort — this is the lasagna that feeds the soul.

🛒 INGREDIENTS:
- 500g dry lasagna sheets
- 400g ground beef
- 200g ground pork
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 500ml whole milk (for béchamel)
- 60g 00 flour (for béchamel)
- 60g butter (for béchamel)
- 80g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- Fine sea salt + black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil to finish

🍳 HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. Sauté soffritto (onion, carrot, celery) in olive oil until golden —
add ground beef and pork, brown completely, add San Marzano
tomatoes and simmer low and slow for 1.5 hrs
2. Make béchamel — melt butter, whisk in flour to roux, add warm
milk progressively whisking until thick, smooth and ivory-white
3. Boil lasagna sheets al dente — lay flat and keep pliable
4. Assemble in dark baking dish — base ragù, pasta, ragù, béchamel,
repeat for 4–5 layers, finish with generous béchamel and Parmigiano
5. Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes until golden-brown bubbled crust
forms with dark caramelized patches
6. Rest 10 minutes, cut generous portion, finish with fresh basil
and extra Parmigiano — serve

⏱ Time: 2.5 hrs | 🍽 Serves: 6

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🍖 BBQ PULLED PORK

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🍝 SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

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🍝 SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

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CRISPY BUFFALO WINGS 🍗

✨ Shatteringly crispy skin, drenched in glossy buttery hot sauce — these are the wings you'll make every single weekend.

🧾 INGREDIENTS:

12 chicken wing pieces (flats + drums)
3 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
½ cup Frank's RedHot sauce
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onion stalks, diagonally sliced
Blue cheese dipping sauce, to serve

👨‍🍳 HOW TO MAKE IT:

Toss wings in paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt until fully coated
Sear in hot cast-iron with oil — skin-side down, 8–10 minutes until deep golden and crispy
Add minced garlic to pan, baste wings with rendered oil
Pour combined Frank's RedHot + melted butter sauce over wings, toss to glaze
Pile into skillet, garnish with green onion, serve with blue cheese

⏱️ Time: 30 mins | 🍽️ Serves: 2–3

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🍛 CHICKEN BIRYANI

✨ Layers of golden saffron rice, tender spiced chicken, and crispy fried onions — this is comfort food perfection.

🧾 INGREDIENTS:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3 red onions, sliced
- 1 garlic bulb, minced
- 1 k**b ginger, grated
- 4 green chilies
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- Fresh mint & cilantro
- Whole spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, star anise
- Pinch of saffron strands
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 1 lemon

👨‍🍳 HOW TO MAKE IT:
1. Score and marinate chicken in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and spices.
2. Fry sliced onions until golden and crisp; set aside.
3. Sear marinated chicken in ghee, build the gravy with tomatoes and whole spices.
4. Layer parboiled rice over the chicken, top with fried onions and herbs.
5. Drizzle saffron milk, cover, and let it steam (dum) before serving.

⏱️ Time: 75 mins | 🍽️ Serves: 6

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