This might be my favourite way to eat courgettes. This pasta dish has just six ingredients but is packed with flavour. It’s super easy to pull together, you won’t believe how delicious it is. Slicing the courgettes thinly and frying them in the leftover fat from the crispy pancetta cubes ensures they become sweet and delicious. I love to use bucatini pasta as it seems to soak up the delicious sauce which is just made with pasta water, plenty of parmesan and seasoning and a squeeze of lemon.

This is a bowl of pure comfort food which I think we need with this truly awful “summer” weather we’ve been having. Juicy, slightly crispy chicken breast to top a creamy mushroom orzo pasta full of plenty of flavour thanks to parmesan, rich umami mushrooms, spinach, lemon juice and some creme fraiche. Easy to whip up in no time, minimal ingredients and delicious on its own without the chicken.

It depends which day you ask me, but this could be my death row meal - its definitely in my top 3. For me, nothing beats this when I’m craving a rich, hearty, delicious bowl of comforting pasta. It’s all about the slow cooking of the beef shin here which after a few hours in a low oven just melts in your mouth. The end result is a ragu rich with red wine, plenty of rosemary, parmesan, garlic, sweet vegetables, sweet good quality Italian tinned tomatoes and well made beef stock.

I have been quite busy recently and craving tasty, quick pasta meals in the evening. This is one of my favourites and includes ingredients you probably have in your cupboard anyway. Anchovies add a lovely umami saltiness, while sweet tomatoes, sharp lemon, salty capers and fragrant fennel all work together to make this not just your typical bowl of midweek pasta. Pangrattato toasted in garlic, oil and parmesan add crunch and texture and is a must to sprinkle over any pasta dish. This will be on the table in minutes.

Serving the meatballs with a green pea orzo is a little different from your usual tomato based sauces, so this is an ideal way to switch up your usual meatball recipes. The ricotta makes the meatballs so light and fluffy, while plenty of parmesan adds umami richness to the orzo which is full of colour, flavour and lots of basil. This is the sort of recipe which you immediately feel better after eating and at £2.32 per portion, it won’t break the bank either. It’s a comforting but healthy dinner full of goodness which adults and kids will both love. 

Lighter and fresher than a typical bolognese, this greek version using lamb mince, chicken stock, dried mint and grated halloumi is full of flavour and comfort without the heaviness of a traditional rich ragu. Cooking the dried pasta in chicken stock with the mince always ensure it soaks up all those lovely flavours.

This pesto recipe is a great one for nut-allergies as it uses sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts. The texture and flavour is just the same as other pesto recipes (some might say actually more tasty) and its so versatile. You can add it on pizzas, stir it through risottos, or use it as a topping for hummus. The possibilities are endless.

For today’s meat-free meal it had to be my recipe for this summer vegetable linguine with pistachio pesto. It’s full of plenty of gorgeous, in season greens and is the perfect summery dinner to give you a healthy dose of green goodness. I used spiralised courgettes in place of pasta as I genuinely love the taste and how they soak up all the sauce, but you could of course replace it with normal pasta instead if you prefer. The pistachio pesto is so nutty and full of plenty of fresh herbs, grated parmesan, lemon and garlic. I make this all the time to stir through risottos, top pizzas or just drizzle over some grilled chicken thighs. It is so so good.

This is such a delicious vegetarian pasta dish which is full of flavour. It’s moreish, easy to make and jam-packed with veggies. Filling, delicious and healthy - add this to your pasta repertoire pronto.

This is my ultimate quick and easy pasta recipe for when I need a bowl of comfort food fast. It’s the type of food I could just eat and eat and eat. This recipe is not going to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes you just need simple food fast and there is nothing wrong with that.

This is my version of the classic recipe, with a few storecupboard twists in there to elevate your normal bolognese to the next level. Little tricks like adding the parmesan rind for salty depth, some whole milk for richness, soy for umami, dark chocolate for a touch of bitter sweetness and red wine vinegar to balance out the acidity all works to make it just a little bit different. It also tastes better after a night or two in the fridge so if you can wait that long do - its worth it.

This is a true one pot dish which makes one chicken go a long way. Roasting the chicken on top of the orzo and vegetables allows all the chicken juices to be absorbed by the pasta grains, making them extra delicious. It’s a great way to enjoy a roast but without the many pots and pans and often hefty price tag. Healthy and so comforting at this time of year, this will become a regular recipe in your household I’m sure.

This is one of my favourite recipes I have tested lately and one I will return to again and again. I wanted to come up with an ultimate pasta ragu recipe using lamb shoulder which falls apart, slow cooked in a rich sauce flavoured with anchovies, olives, capers, white wine, parmesan and plenty of herbs. Although decadent, by using white wine and chicken stock, this ragu is surprisingly light and not too heavy at all - meaning you can happily eat bowl after bowl (in fact I’d encourage this).

Any kind of seafood pasta is up there with my ultimate food heaven. I could just eat bowl after bowl. This is the recipe for my version of the classic linguine vongole. I think there are just some recipes which shouldn’t be messed around with and this is one of them. The combination of white wine, garlic, chilli and clams is just too good - I’ve added some crispy parmesan breadcrumbs for some added texture and some lovely samphire for added greenery and saltiness but ultimately I’ve stayed true to the original flavours.

Crab and fennel is a classic combination. Teamed with lemon, parsley, chilli, anchovies and capers, the flavours just come alive. This is the recipe for my crab bucatini which is healthy, full of flavour and so versatile. It is both a perfect quick midweek meal and a dish to impress for a dinner party. For me it’s the breadcrumbs which make this recipe so don’t miss out on those.

This is a midweek meal which is so quick to throw together but it packs a serious punch. Fast, flavoursome and super tasty.

Summery, healthy, so moreish and full of goodness - this is the type of pasta recipe which kids will love and have no idea just how many veggies they’re eating. The courgettes soak up all the lovely flavours from the pesto, while the toasted pistachios add a nutty sweetness and texture to the pesto.