Collection

Make Ahead

Pasta dishes that hold their character overnight. Pack tomorrow’s lunch tonight, or get a head start on Sunday for the week ahead.

17 recipes

26 min · serves 4

Easy Tuna & Olive Pasta Salad

A make-ahead lunch that travels well from kitchen to lunchbox to picnic mat. Cibo di Italia Fusilli grabs the lemony dressing, and the tuna, olives and capers do all the flavour work. Better after an hour in the fridge.

75 min · serves 4

Slow-Simmered Tomato Pasta

The lazy Sunday version of a tomato pasta. The sauce simmers for an hour with whole garlic cloves, fresh basil and a knob of butter — it tastes like you fussed when really you walked away. Cibo di Italia Penne Rigate grabs every spoonful.

26 min · serves 4

Cold Pasta Salad with Cucumber & Feta

A cool, crunchy pasta salad that earns its place in the fridge during the hot months. Cibo di Italia Fusilli, crisp cucumber, salty feta, fresh dill — dressed in lemon and olive oil. Stays good for two days.

26 min · serves 4

Mediterranean Pasta Bowl

Whole wheat penne layered with chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, baby greens and a lemony tahini drizzle. The kind of bowl you assemble more than you cook — high-protein, fibre-rich, deeply satisfying.

22 min · serves 3

Gluten-Free Fusilli Corn & Avocado Salad

A gluten-free pasta salad that eats like lunch, not a side dish. Charred corn, avocado, lime and coriander give the fusilli freshness and enough body to pack for later.

47 min · serves 4

Hearty Bean & Pasta Soup

Pantry-driven, vegetable-loaded, soul-warming — a thick bean and pasta soup using Cibo di Italia Whole Wheat Macaroni. Land it on the iftar table or pack it for a working-from-home lunch. Tastes even better on day two.

40 min · serves 5

Whole Wheat Macaroni Vegetable Soup

A proper bowl-for-dinner soup: vegetables, beans and whole wheat macaroni in a tomato broth. The macaroni keeps its bite and makes the pot feel complete.

80 min · serves 4

Vegetable Lasagne

A weekend lasagne that swaps sheets for ridged gluten-free penne — the ridges trap béchamel and tomato in every layer, so every bite is properly saucy. A vegetable-heavy, gluten-free bake nobody at the table feels left out by.

47 min · serves 4

Spinach Ricotta Conchiglie Bake

Conchiglie rigate is built for this kind of bake: the shells hold pockets of ricotta, spinach and tomato, then the top catches under mozzarella until it bubbles at the edges.

65 min · serves 6

Spiced Chicken & Macaroni Bake

A tray of this bake going into the oven fills the house with the kind of warm, spiced smell that makes everyone gather in the kitchen. Cibo di Italia Macaroni is layered with tender spiced chicken, a robust tomato sauce and a blanket of melted cheese — then baked until bubbling. Make it ahead on a busy Ramadan evening and reheat just before iftar.

170 min · serves 6

Slow Lamb Ragu Penne

This is the pasta you cook during the afternoon hours of Ramadan and leave to look after itself while you rest. Lamb shoulder, aromatics and warm spices simmer low and slow into a deep, falling-apart ragu that coats Cibo di Italia Penne Rigate magnificently. The effort is almost zero; the reward is a table that goes very quiet.

25 min · serves 4

Suhoor Lemon Tuna Fusilli Salad

Suhoor needs to keep you going through a long fast — this pasta salad does exactly that. Cibo di Italia Fusilli tossed with tinned tuna, briny olives, crisp cucumber and a bright lemon dressing is full of slow-release carbs and protein. Make it the night before and it is ready in seconds when the alarm goes off before fajr.

45 min · serves 6

Chickpea & Spinach Macaroni Soup

A bowlful of this soup is one of the most honest ways to break a fast — warm, deeply nourishing, built from things that are almost always in the cupboard. Cibo di Italia Macaroni cooks directly in the spiced chickpea broth so the pasta soaks up all the flavour. It is vegetarian, it is make-ahead friendly, and it feeds a large family from a single pot.

65 min · serves 6

Baked Three-Cheese & Herb Conchiglie

Conchiglie shells were made for baked pasta — their cup shape traps pools of cheesy sauce inside every shell, turning a simple bake into something genuinely exciting to eat. This version layers Cibo di Italia Conchiglie Rigate with a three-cheese béchamel fragrant with thyme and parsley, then bakes it until the top is golden and bubbling. A proper crowd-pleaser for an iftar table or a big family gathering.

27 min · serves 4

Lunchbox Pasta Salad with Chicken & Sweetcorn

Make this on Sunday and the lunchboxes take care of themselves all week. Cibo di Italia Fusilli holds the lemony dressing in every spiral, the chicken keeps the kids full through the afternoon, and sweetcorn adds just enough sweetness to make the box disappear at break time.

21 min · serves 4

Tuna & White Bean Fusilli Salad

Protein in two forms — tuna and white beans — make this a meal that actually fills you up. The dressing is a sharp lemon-caper vinaigrette that cuts through the richness beautifully. Cibo di Italia Classic Fusilli spirals hold the dressing in every curl and this salad tastes even better the next day, making it a reliable make-ahead option for lunchboxes and busy weeknights.

45 min · serves 4

Mini Pasta Bake Cups

Individual pasta bakes baked in a muffin tin — self-contained, portion-sized, and brilliant for lunchboxes. Cibo di Italia Classic Macaroni, a quick tomato sauce, mozzarella and a golden breadcrumb top. Make a batch on the weekend, pack two per box, and the week is sorted. They reheat beautifully or travel perfectly at room temperature.