From *that* Ottolenghi pasta to chocolate dumplings: 7 viral recipes to make this summer.

One of the best things about our Aussie summer has to be outdoor dinners and sun-filled barbecues. 

We’re lucky enough to have the perfect weather for daytime pool parties, or evening dinners on the deck with the family. 

As a mum of five, it’s easy to let our recipe rotations become mundane, with the same menu items on repeat, night after night. 

And when it comes to entertaining, ideas can be... well, scarce, without relying on sausages in bread, overcooked steak and the standard tub of ice cream. That's where places like TikTok can be such a handy source of hyped viral recipes to get you out of your cooking funk.

If you need inspiration, here are seven viral recipes to try that'll transform your next dinner party spread (hello, entertaining season) or personal snack. 

1. Ottolenghi Pesto Pasta with White Beans & Halloumi

Sometimes we need a night free from meat, and with the cost-of-living crisis, it can be a good move for your wallet – so pasta is the perfect way to do it.   

The addition of Barilla Pesto is what really brings this Ottolenghi dish to life, proving vegetarian doesn’t have to be boring. Barilla is the gold standard, with its creamy, delicious and versatile flavour enabling you to enhance your menu, no matter the occasion. It's a pantry staple that can add such a flavourful twist to a wide variety of everyday dishes like this one (even fancying up your basic toastie).

Ingredients

• 1 jar of Barilla Pesto Genovese
• 3 cups (345g) Barilla Pasta (we'd recommend any short, twirled pasta, like Casarecce or Fusilli)
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 medium green serrano chilli or long green chilli, stem removed, halved lengthwise
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 700 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 1 block haloumi (about 200g), very finely grated (a microplane can be handy here)

Method

1. Add oil to a large frypan with a lid and place it over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and chilli, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until garlic is nicely golden.

2. Stir in chopped thyme leaves, beans, pasta, stock, 2 tsp salt flakes and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, with lid off, for 5-10 minutes. This will help the mixture absorb more of the liquid.

3. As the pasta cooks, transfer the Barilla Pesto Genovese to a small bowl and stir in remaining olive oil, adding a touch extra if needed, to loosen the pesto.

4. When ready to serve, stir lemon juice and half the pesto into the pasta (discard the chilli, if you wish) and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter with a lip. Sprinkle over half the grated haloumi, and serve with remaining haloumi and Barilla Pesto Genovese alongside.

2. Burger Salad

Image: TikTok @holistic.foodie

Let's face it, sometimes you just feel like a decent burger. But if you're looking for a healthy twist on a classic, or just don't have burger buns at home, this burger salad might do the trick. It's like a taco bowl, only it's serving burger flavours (trust the process!). Delicious and full of flavour, this dish gives you all the benefits of a salad, with the satisfying taste of your favourite burger.

Ingredients

Salad 

• 500 gm beef mince
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 large white onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Burger Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp chopped dill pickles (plus extra slices for garnish, optional)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp chopped fresh dill

Instructions 

1. Season the beef mince with a good pinch of kosher salt and fresh black pepper.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef once hot and use a spoon to break it apart. Cook until browned and crispy on one side (don't move it around too much), about four minutes. Flip and cook for another two minutes or until cooked through. Drain with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towel and set aside. Allow to cool.

3. Place the romaine in a large salad bowl and add the tomatoes and white onion.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the big mac sauce.

5. When ready to serve, add the beef to the salad bowl. Dress the salad with the sauce and add the cheese. Garnish with extra pickle slices if using. Enjoy!

3. Pesto Eggs

Image: TikTok @amywilichowski

Honestly, I could eat eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are so many ways to eat them too, and this viral TikTok recipe is one I (and the rest of the internet) can’t get enough of. Pesto eggs are exactly what they say they are: eggs cooked in pesto instead of oil, where this simple swap really elevates a basic dish into something special. 

This recipe then kicks it up a level, having the Barilla Chilli Pesto add a subtle spicy twist on the internet's classic version. Trust us. 

Ingredients

• 1 jar of Barilla Chilli Pesto
• 2 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 slice sourdough bread
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• Honey to taste

Method

1. Heat fry pan and dollop two tablespoons of Barilla Chilli Pesto into your pan (Cooking tip: Cook eggs over a lower heat when adding your pesto, to avoid the cheese in the pesto from burning on the bottom of the pan.)

2. Crack two eggs into the pan (you can either fry or scramble them)

3. Toast your bread

4. Spread with ricotta cheese and avocado

5. Top with pesto eggs

6. Drizzle with honey and season to suit

4. 10-minute Chocolate Dumplings 

Image: TikTok @veganiina

I love dumplings and this dessert variety (with a twist) is no exception. Only, this sweet treat is a heck of a lot easier to make than the regular savoury type. This cheeky snack is a perfect example of how thinking outside the square can result in something a little bit fun (any kid will LOVE) – without the big effort or price tag.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of white bread
• 4 tbsp chocolate spread
• 1 tsp butter
• Handful of berries
• Powdered sugar for dusting 

Method

1. Use a cookie cutter to shape bread into circles

2. Roll flat with a rolling pin

3. Cover bread with chocolate spread

4. Fold in half and use a fork to stick together to resemble dumplings 

5. Add butter to a hot pan

6. Add dumplings 

7. Fry lightly on either side

8. Add to plate, sprinkle berries and dust with powdered sugar

5. Pesto Bean Salad

Image: TikTok @hangryinlove

If you're after a satisfying meal or side over summer, this TikTok recipe is *chef's kiss*. Pesto Bean Salad is most definitely one for vegans and vegetarians to have in regular rotation (or a handy recipe to save if you're hosting any over the Christmas season), where reaching for Barilla Vegan Pesto can be a much quicker mix-in than making a pesto batch from scratch.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp Barilla Vegan Pesto
• 500 gm dry cannellini beans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup vegetable stock/broth
• 1 tsp salt (less if using canned beans)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 punnet grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup freshly grated vegan parmesan
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Method

1. In a large bowl, completely cover beans with water – at least 2 inches of water above the beans. Soak beans overnight.

2. In a Dutch oven or pot, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and just beginning to brown.

3. Add drained beans to the pot, followed by water, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and herb bundle. Liquid should cover beans by about 3”. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover pot and allow to simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until desired tenderness. Check pot occasionally and add more liquid if need be.

4. Once beans are cooked and have reached desired tenderness, strain from liquid and add to a covered container and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice and Barilla Vegan Pesto until well-combined.

6. Remove beans from fridge. Add tomatoes and parmesan to beans. Drizzle pesto sauce over bean mixture, then gently stir to coat. Serve immediately garnished with fresh basil leaves.

6. Korean Hwachae

Image: TikTok @fitrubalance

There's something about Korean desserts that are just so hard to resist, and this sweet treat is something you can recreate yourself at home with minimal effort. Using easy access ingredients and no cooking required, it's little wonder this recipe has endless versions of people making their own on TikTok! A fun surprise for the kids after school, or one to impress anyone you're entertaining on a hot day.

Ingredients

• Strawberry milk
• Full cream milk
• 1 jar of peach pieces
• 1 tin of pineapple pieces
• 1 punnet strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 tub peaches in jelly
• Quarter of watermelon
• Ice

Method

1. Dice banana and watermelon. 

2. Combine all fruit in a bowl

3. Add 5 to 10 ice cubes

4. Pour desired amount of full cream milk and strawberry milk 

5. Stir to combine

7. Cinnamon Apple Pie Slice

Image: TikTok @foodiepetit

Sometimes you just can't decide between a cake and an apple pie – so, why not... both? You won't be able to resist this delicious combo on two favourites. Add cinnamon, and you're left with something close to mouth-watering perfection.

Ingredients

Apple mix

• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• 20 gm granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Cake

• 180 gm plain flour
• 100 gm granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 60 gm butter, melted

Whirlwind Cinnamon

• 60 gm butter, melted
• 70 gm brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze

• 100 gm ice sugar
• 20 ml milk

Method 

1. Cut apples into squares and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, mix

2. Mix flour with sugar, milk, egg, baking powder, mix everything and add melted butter

3. Add apples to the dough, mix and pour into a baking dish

4. Mix brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, and pour over the top of the cake

5. In the oven for 35-40 minutes at 175 C

6. For icing, mix powdered sugar with milk, and pour it over the finished cake

Shop Barilla Pesto's range of 6 flavours from your local supermarket's pasta aisle.

Feature Image: TikTok/@amywilichowski/@fitrubalance/@holistic.foodie