SPINACH PASTA

You can use any form of dried pasta for this recipe, which takes only 15 minutes. You could use frozen spinach if you don’t have any fresh, or substitute sautéed mushrooms or leeks instead.

Serves 2

180g dried pasta
235g baby spinach, washed
2 tbsp olive oil
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
5 tbsp mascarpone (or crème fraîche or double cream)
4 tbsp parmesan, freshly grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, bring a separate pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the spinach, let it wilt for a few seconds, then drain and cool under cold running water.

Return the empty pan to the heat and, once dry, pour in the olive oil. Add the spring onion and garlic and gently sauté for a few minutes until the spring onion has softened slightly, then turn off the heat.

Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach, then roughly chop and add to the sautéed spring onion, along with the lemon zest and mascarpone (or enough crème fraîche or double cream to form a sauce for the pasta). Once the mascarpone has melted and the spinach sauce is warm, add 2 tbsp parmesan and season to taste.

Drain the pasta, mix into the sauce and serve, sprinkled with the remaining grated parmesan.

CANNELLINI BEAN GRATIN

This tummy-lining dish is quick to make and works equally well with tinned kidney beans or chickpeas. You can also add other ingredients, such as sweet pepper, chilli, chorizo and ham.

Serves 2

3 tbsp olive oil
4 slices back bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
410g can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped, or 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
100g cheese, sliced (mozzarella, taleggio or any hard English cheese that melts)

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