CREAMY GARLIC PASTA — Ready in 15 Minutes

Why you’ll love this: This is the kind of pasta that tastes like a warm hug. Garlicky, creamy, butter-soft — and it comes together while your water’s still boiling. No fancy ingredients, no fuss, just comfort on a plate.

Ingredients: 400g pasta, 6 cloves garlic minced, 200ml heavy cream, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, handful of fresh parsley chopped, Parmesan cheese to finish.

Instructions: Boil your pasta water — it should taste like the sea. Add your pasta and cook until soft. Drain it but keep a cup of the pasta water. In a large pan, melt your butter over medium heat. Add your minced garlic and stir gently for about a minute until it smells incredible — don’t let it brown. Slowly pour your cream into the garlic butter, stirring as you go. Let it warm through for a minute. Toss your drained pasta straight into this creamy garlic mixture. Stir gently so every strand gets coated. If it feels too thick, add a splash of pasta water. Add salt and pepper and taste. Top with fresh parsley and Parmesan, and serve while it’s warm.

Tips: Don’t skip saving the pasta water — it’s the secret to a silky sauce. Fresh garlic makes all the difference. This pasta is best eaten right away.

FAQs: Can I use milk instead of cream? You can, but it won’t be quite as creamy. Can I make this ahead? It’s best fresh, but reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk. What if I don’t have fresh parsley? Skip it — the pasta is delicious on its own.

…with love, Aiko 🤍

Crispy Cheese & Basil Tortilla Pizza 🧀 (Easy 10-Minute Recipe)

Guilty pleasure alert. This crispy tortilla pizza is what I make when I want something indulgent but I cannot be bothered to wait around for dough to prove. Melted cheese, fresh basil, a drizzle of honey and a pinch of chilli, all folded into a tortilla and crisped in a pan until golden. It’s basically pizza’s cooler, easier sibling — and it’s ready in ten minutes flat.

I make this constantly. It’s the kind of thing you throw together on a quiet afternoon when you’re not trying to impress anyone, just feed yourself something that tastes like comfort. One bite and you’ll understand.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Ready in 10 minutes — no dough, no proving, no waiting.
• Crispy on the outside, gooey in the middle — the pan-fry does all the work.
• That honey-and-chilli finish — sweet, spicy and a little unexpected.
• Endlessly adaptable — use up whatever cheese and toppings you’ve got.

Ingredients

Makes 1 tortilla pizza (easily doubled)

• 1 large flour tortilla
• 3 tbsp tomato or pizza sauce (passata works too)
• 75g shredded mozzarella
• 25g cheddar or any melty cheese you love
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp butter (for frying)
• 1 tsp honey, to finish
• A pinch of chilli flakes, to finish

Optional: a few slices of pepperoni tucked in before folding.

How to make crispy tortilla pizza

1. Sauce it. Lay the tortilla flat and spread the tomato sauce over one half, leaving a small border at the edge. Sprinkle over the oregano and a pinch of salt.
2. Layer up. Scatter the mozzarella and cheddar over the sauce, then tuck in the fresh basil leaves (and pepperoni, if using).
3. Fold. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to make a half-moon, pressing gently so it holds.
4. Crisp it. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the folded tortilla and cook for 2–3 minutes each side, pressing down lightly, until deep golden and crispy and the cheese has melted right through.
5. Finish. Slide onto a board, drizzle with honey and scatter over the chilli flakes. Slice in half and eat while it’s hot and the cheese is still pulling.

Tips for the crispiest tortilla pizza

• Medium heat, not high. You want the tortilla to crisp slowly while the cheese melts — too hot and you’ll burn the outside before the inside goes gooey.
• Butter beats oil here. It gives a richer flavour and a more even golden colour.
• Press it down. A gentle press with a spatula helps the cheese melt and keeps everything together.
• Don’t skip the honey. The sweet-and-spicy finish against the savoury cheese is the whole point.

Variations

• Margherita-style: mozzarella, basil and a little extra fresh tomato.
• Spicy: add sliced jalapeños or a smear of chilli paste under the cheese.
• Loaded: pepperoni, mushrooms, sweetcorn — whatever you’d put on a pizza.
• Veggie: roasted peppers and red onion work beautifully.

Storage

Tortilla pizza is best eaten fresh and crispy, straight from the pan. If you’ve got leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to a day and reheat in a dry pan (not the microwave — that’s how you lose the crisp).

FAQ

Can I make this in the oven? Yes — bake the open tortilla at 200°C for about 6–8 minutes, then fold. You won’t get quite the same crispness as the pan, but it works.

What tortilla is best? A large flour tortilla holds up best. Whole-wheat works too, and gives a nuttier flavour.

Is it really only 10 minutes? Start to finish, yes — a couple of minutes to assemble and around 5–6 in the pan.

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If you make this crispy cheese and basil tortilla pizza, I’d love to know how it turns out. It’s one of my favourite easy comfort food recipes — quick enough for a weeknight, indulgent enough for a treat.