Farfalle is a short, rather sturdy butterfly-shaped pasta that is also known as “bow-ties”. It is good for a dish such as this because the folds and crinkles of each piece help capture the pesto and hold the other ingredients. Replace the farfalle with penne or small shells if you wish. Note

Any similar-sized pasta shape such as casarecce, rigatoni or penne would be suitable for this dish. Note

Rigatoni, a ridged, tube-shaped pasta, is ideal for baked dishes because it is wide and the hearty fillings cling to the indentations around the edges. Note

We cooked this recipe in two ovenproof dishes,­ each dish will serve three. We have deliberately used dried, uncooked pasta in this dish. The texture of the final dish is a little chewy, but still tender. Note

Rich and warm, with a nice kick from the chilli.

The pasta cases can be made, cooled and removed from the pans one day before the party. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The bolognese sauce can be made two days ahead; keep it covered in the fridge. Assemble the baskets up to 3 hours before the party. Note

Using wide, tender pappardelle means more surface area to carry that delicious, cheesy, prosciutto-packed carbonara sauce right to your watering mouth.

You can substitute any pasta for the penne in this recipe. The Italian name of this pasta (penne) means ‘pen’, a reference to the nib-like, pointy ends. Penne comes in both smooth (lisce) or ridged (rigate) versions, and a variety of sizes. Note

Calves liver should be cut into paper-thin slices then quickly seared because too much cooking will destroy its soft, delicate texture. Your butcher will slice the liver thinly for you. Note

You may use any type of mushrooms for this recipe, we used a combination of oyster, swiss brown, shiitake and button mushrooms. Note

Sopressa, a salami from the north of Italy, can be found in both mild and chilli-flavoured varieties. If you can’t find it easily, you can use any hot salami, but the taste won’t be exactly the same. Note