Meat Free Week is a campaign run by Bowel Cancer Australia, to raise awareness of the impact of a high consumption of meat on our health, the environment and animal welfare.

The campaign challenges participants to give up meat for seven days and raise funds for three charities: Bowel Cancer Australia, World Animal Protection and Sustainable Table.

There is convincing evidence that a high consumption of red meat and processed meat increases bowel cancer risk.

Studies show that bowel cancer risk increases by 12 per cent per 100 grams of red meat consumed per day and by 16 per cent per 50 grams of processed meat consumed per day.

Bowel Cancer Australia’s National Community Engagement Manager Claire Annear said the campaign was created to give people an opportunity to think about how much meat they eat and the impact of consuming too much.

“Although Australia ranks among the top in the world when it comes to meat consumption, research shows 95 per cent of us don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables.

“By taking part in Meat Free Week we hope people will consider how much meat they’re eating during the other 51 weeks in the year and be in a better position to make more informed choices.”

Everyone is invited to take the Meat Free Week challenge and discover how easy it is to make little changes that can create a big difference.

To help you, we share a recipe for Bucatini alla Caruso, a dish supposedly adored and refined by Neapolitan tenor Enrico Caruso, who reigned supreme at the Metropolitan Opera for 18 years.

He was supposedly as passionate about food as he was about music.

Legend has it that when staying in Naples, he would instruct resident hotel chefs on how to prepare this excellent dish and which ingredients to use.

The renowned tenor loved the typical pasta of his native town above all else.

It is said that after being given a cold reception by his fellow countrymen, Enrico swore he would never sing in Naples again; he would only come back to partake in his favourite dish.

These bucatini are extremely flavoursome and intrinsically Mediterranean.

Why not try the recipe for yourselves?