Contrary to popular belief, cooking restaurant-quality dishes isn’t as intimidating as everyone makes it out to be. With the right guidance, every home cook has the chance to treat their family and friends to a fancy yet affordable feast filled with flavor and love. 

Start your cooking journey and impress your loved ones with these exciting recipes created by Doña Elena Chef Ambassadors - Raintree Restaurant’s Corporate Chef Kalel Chan and Locavore’s Executive Chef Mikel Zaguirre. Firmly believing that good food stems from quality ingredients, these two seasoned Filipino chefs have collaborated with Doña Elena for the third installment of their Chef Ambassador Series, a digital campaign that features restaurant-quality dishes made possible by using ingredients from Doña Elena, including their wide range of olive oil. High in nutrients and antioxidants, olive oil helps to elevate the taste of these dishes with its aromatic flavors, serving up meals that are delicious, wholesome and healthy at the same time.

Three Cheese Tuna Chunks Lasagna Roll Ups with Pesto

Three Cheese Tuna Chunks Lasagna Roll Ups with Pesto by Chef Kalel Chan

The classic lasagna is given a refreshing twist in this recipe by Chef Kalel Chan. Instead of alternately layering the sauces and pasta, as a whole, in a big casserole dish, the sauces are spread on each pasta sheet before it is rolled up, making it easier to serve up individual portions to your guests. Topped with even more tomato sauce, a generous dollop of pesto, and mozzarella cheese, each roll up is also drizzled with olive oil before and after baking for added flavor. Use Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil for the best results as it is recommended especially for making pasta dishes.

Also suitable for everyday cooking, the Pure Olive Oil can also be used to make the unique tomato sauce, which contains tuna chunks as opposed to more commonly used minced beef. Seasoned with Italian herbs and anchovies, this umami-laden sauce is perfectly layered with a creamy three cheese sauce to create a filling pasta dish with well-balanced flavors. 

Watch this video for the full recipe.

Related: Choose The Right Olive Oil For A More Flavorful Feast

Mom's Baked Penne

Mom's Baked Penne by Chef Mikel Zaguirre

Chef Mike Zaguirre offers a glimpse of his childhood with this recipe for his Mom’s Baked Penne. Wholesome and packed with flavor, this rustic dish is essentially made up of pasta mixed in two different sauces. Both cooked with Pure Olive Oil, the savory tomato sauce contains ham and green bell peppers while the creamy white sauce consists of button mushrooms, cream of mushroom and evaporated milk. 

To assemble the dish, the pasta is mixed with tomato sauce first before it is layered with white sauce, cheese and butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and browns slightly, before serving. Have your cameras on standby as you sink your fork in for a satisfyingly gooey cheese pull. Who needs to go out when you can get an Instagram-worthy shot at your very own dining table?

Watch this video for the full recipe.

Related: 5 Cooking Tips For A Healthy New Year

Spaghetti Palabok with Spanish Sardines

Spaghetti Palabok with Spanish Sardines by Chef Kalel Chan

Add another one of Chef Kalel Chan’s amazing creations to your recipe book with this Filipino-style pasta. Inspired by the taste of a well-loved Filipino noodle dish known as Pancit Palabok, this fusion recipe makes use of spaghetti instead of the usual rice noodles. While the noodles have changed, familiar seafood flavors remain as shrimp or dashi stock is used as the base of the thick and luscious Palabok sauce, which is made even more fragrant with the addition of Pure Olive Oil and atsuete powder. 

Topped with a variety of ingredients including shrimp, squid, Spanish sardine flakes, soft-boiled eggs, toasted garlic and crushed chicharron for added crunch and texture, this Spaghetti Palabok with Spanish Sardines is brought to another level with an extra drizzle of Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

Watch this video for the full recipe.

This article was created in association with Doña Elena Olive Oil. For information, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also buy Doña Elena Olive Oil on Lazada, Shopee and Acemarket.ph.