A feast in 45 minutes (+recipes)

Lauraine Jacobs with her luxurious salmon tart. Photo / Jason Dorday

Lauraine Jacobs tells you how to delight friends with a dinner that's quick to prepare and superb to share.

I have always said that if your food is easy to prepare it will be easy to eat, and friends and family will love you for that. This dinner menu is fit for a king but does not need an army in the kitchen and can be accomplished in under an hour.

New Zealand's food producers provide us with a wonderfully diverse range of interesting fresh products that I love to showcase when I entertain at home.

I will be demonstrating this menu in the Food Show's Celebrity Chef theatre, and have 45 minutes on stage. Two things will ensure that this menu can be cooked in that time. First, slice the onions thinly and get them into the frying pan. Second, plunge the pasta into boiling salted water so that both onions and pasta are cooking while you get your salad veges ready, and peel the pears and persimmons.

Everything else should fall into place easily, and you will have a dinner to remember.

laurainejacobs.co.nz