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So recently my girlfriend broke her wrist falling down some steps, and whilst she is making progress and recovering well, she has lost some mobility in her wrist. This means cooking is a bit of a challenge for her as she can't just chop and dice away like she normally would. So I've come up with this baked cod with orzo recipe that is not only done in one pan, it's cheap, healthy and tasty. It also only needs very minimal chopping, so if you are having some mobility issues, or just feeling plain lazy, then this recipe is for you.

To make my one pan baked cod with orzo you will need:

• 2 large cod fillets (about 260g worth)

• 120g of frozen pre diced onion (or about half a med onion)

• 1 tsp of garlic puree or 3 small whole cloves minced

• 250g of whole cherry tomatoes

• 200g of orzo pasta

• About 2 tsp of dried tarragon

• About the equivalent of 1 red pepper's worth of jarred roasted peppers

• About 700ml of chicken stock

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon (add more to taste)

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper to taste

Orzo pasta is rice shaped pasta, and is incredibly versatile and quick to cook. You can use orzo to make a sort of cheats risotto, without having to stand over it for ages, constantly stirring. You don't have to have the chicken with this dish, it's great on it's own, or served with some nice meaty white fish, or even grilled pork chops.

Ingredients:

• 250g orzo pasta

• 2 shallots or 1 small onion finely diced

• 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

• About half a medium sized chilli

• 2 chicken breasts

• 50-100g parmesan cheese (use more or less depending how much you like)

• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking

• Salt & pepper

Sometimes things don't always go to plan. A recipe that I was going to do today, failed massively! Thankfully however, I have a good bunch of recipes up my sleeve. So instead, I decided to make this awesome white chicken ragu (Bianco chicken ragu) that I adapted from Gennaro Contaldo's recipe. It's really simple, really cheap, but tastes delicious!

To make my white chicken ragu you will need:

• 1 small carrot finely diced

• 1/2 stick of celery finely diced

• 1/2 medium onion finely diced

• 3 chicken thighs de-boned and chopped

• 1/2 red chilli (optional)

• 150ml white wine

• 200ml chicken stock

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 small garlic cloves

• 200g penne pasta

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper

• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

• Parmesan to serve

My creamy chicken pasta is really simple to make, and only takes around 15 minutes from prep to table. For this recipe, I used chicken breast, but you could use skinless thighs as an alternative. I also added some creme fraiche, as this does two things. It gives the dish a sort of 'twang' but also lightens the dish, making it less heavy and cloying. If you want quick easy meals, that are tasty and a little bit healthier than the usual cheese laden stuff I make, then recipes like this are perfect for you. You can also make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with some fried mushrooms!

To make my creamy chicken pasta you will need:

• 300g of chicken breast

• 250g of pasta (I used tagliatelle)

• 150ml of double cream

• 3 tbsp of creme fraiche

• Zest of 1 lemon

• About 2 tbsp of pine nuts

• Fresh basil leaves

• 1 fat garlic clove or 2 smaller ones

• Salt & pepper

• Oil for cooking

This is one of those recipes that just works. It has very few ingredients, making it cheap as chips and you can knock this up in less than 15 minutes. This is my go to spaghetti recipe when I want something quick and simple and don’t want to be messing around in the kitchen for hours on end. The capers coupled with the sweet tomatoes, tangy lemon and the passata creates a wonderful and vibrant pasta recipe. The Parmesan just rounds everything off, toning down the sharpness a little, and it gives the dish a creaminess. Of course, it's obligatory to add more over the top when it's finished...why wouldn't you?

To make my homecooked spaghetti with tomatoes and capers you will need:

• 250g of spaghetti

• About 150g of passata

• About 12 cherry tomatoes

• 2 cloves of garlic

• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

• 2 tbsp of capers

• Parmesan cheese

• Salt & pepper

• Good extra virgin olive oil

• Parmesan & fresh basil or parsley to finish
  

As you probably know by now, the main premise for this channel is simple, easy, cheap and tasty food. I like to make the best of everything I have and using ingredients that might otherwise end up in the bin. Today I show you one of my easy, fast and delicious sausage & bean pasta dishes. It's really good eating, and can be eaten hot or cold. If you're making it for kids, you might want to omit the chillies. I also use butter beans (also known as lima beans), which are a natural source of protein, iron and zinc. They are basically the potato of the bean world and are lovely and creamy, and brilliant if there's not a lot of meat to go round, and you want to bulk out the dish without compromising on flavour. This recipe will serve 2-3 people, or 4 people as part of main, with some crunchy salad leaves and maybe some nice buttered corn on the cob.

To make my sausage and butter bean pasta you will need:

• 6-8 high quality pork sausages

• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 medium onion

• 1 tsp of dried oregano

• 1/2 a red chilli (more if you like it hotter)

• 1/2 tbsp of tomato puree

• 1 can of butter beans (lima beans)

• 300g of whole wheat fusilli pasta

• Salt & pepper

• Freshly chopped parsley (about 1 tbsp)

• Freshly grated parmesan (optional)

• Oil for cooking

Marcella Hazan was one of the most prolific and knowledgeable cooks in America. She brought Italian cuisine to the masses and showed the world how simple and tasty, good Italian food was. She holds a special place in my heart because of her tenacity to learn, and that she was a self taught cook, not a chef. I thought I would do something a bit different today, and cook one of her recipes from her book 'Essentials of classic Italian cooking'. It’s her recipe for peas, bacon and ricotta sauce. The word sauce should be used lightly, as it's not really a sauce at all, but more of an amalgamation of lovely things. I think if I made this again, I would add a touch of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up a touch. That being said, it's a very refreshing, light and tasty dish. This recipe is perfect for those on a tight budget, as pasta costs little, neither do peas or bacon really. The ricotta was a quid for a whole tub from my local market. Incidentally, I popped in to a supermarket for some other bits and bobs, and noticed that their ricotta was less in weight and almost double the price! It pays to visit your market, people. The pasta of choice is conchiglie, which is the shell shaped pasta. It seems to hold the sauce better, and as Marcella said herself 'for the deftness with which it’s hollows catch the sauce'. Other pasta varieties can be used, such as rigatoni or perhaps penne. Marcella was a magnanimous, sharp woman. I never got to meet her, but I am certain that I would have spent hours talking to her about food.

To make Marcella's peas & bacon with ricotta sauce you will need:

• 450g of shell on peas or 140g of frozen peas thawed

• 115g of lean back bacon

• 115g of fresh ricotta

• 450g of conchiglie pasta or something similar

• 15g of butter

• 6 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese

• Salt & pepper

• A little oil for cooking the bacon
  

Saint agur cheese is a very mild, sweet and creamy cheese with a light blue cheese flavour, that works really well in sauces. This recipe is brilliant because most of the flavour comes from the cheese, so you don't have to spend ages making a flavourful sauce, because it's already in the cheese!

I first made my spaghetti with blue cheese sauce on the last live stream I did. I promised I would make an actual video for the recipe, so I'm doing it now before I forget! There are a couple of added extras to the recipe, the addition of parsley and a touch of lemon zest, helps cut through some of that richness. I mean it's not exactly a slimming dish folks, but it does taste good. You can use different blue cheeses if you can't get hold of saint agur. Roquefort would be good, or maybe a mild stilton. Just be aware that different cheeses, will alter the flavour considerably, so tastes as you go.

• To make my spaghetti with blue cheese sauce you will need: 350g of spaghetti

• About 75g of saint agur cheese (use more if you like)

• About 150ml of double cream (heavy cream)

• 4 rashers of smoked bacon

• Fresh parsley

• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

• Salt & pepper

• Olive oil for cooking

Spaghetti and meatballs is one of those Italian American dishes that just kind of makes you go 'ooooh yes please' The combination of soft, juicy meatballs and that silky spaghetti covered in a rich tomato sauce is just a pleasure to eat. Now, let's talk about the meatballs themselves. The difference between a good meatball and a great meatball is all in the meat, specifically using a combination of good quality beef and pork, in this case half and half.

You want to make sure that either your beef or pork is not too lean, as you don’t want them to dry out. Equally you don't want them too greasy either, so opt for either lean pork and fatty beef, or in this case fatty pork and lean beef. This will give you a soft, crumbly and juicy meatball. It's also important to note that breadcrumbs are absolutely essential. Contrary to belief they don’t bulk out the meatball, but they instead, suck up all the juices and fat whilst cooking, which in turn keeps the meatball juicy and tender. You can add whatever herbs and spices you like. Some fennel seeds would be nice, fresh basil, garlic and onion maybe? It's up to you.

To make my spaghetti and meatballs you will need:

• 225g of pork mince

• 225g of beef mince

• 1 egg

• 1 heaped tsp of oregano

• 80-100g of fresh white breadcrumbs

• About 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• A good handful of chopped parsley

• 2-3 tbsp of grated Parmesan

• 1 small chilli finely chopped

• 1 batch of my basic tomato sauce

• Salt & pepper

• About 100g of dried spaghetti per person

Spaghetti aglio e olio is arguably the easiest pasta recipe you're ever likely to make, it's got 5 ingredients and even one of those is optional. The key to a good spaghetti aglio e olio is using really good olive oil (the best you can afford) and also not allowing the garlic to burn. You burn the garlic, the dish is ruined.

This dish is great after a night out, and you've had a few drinks. So instead of reaching for a cheap kebab, make this instead. It takes around 8 minutes from start to finish, and can be in your belly in less. Give it a bash!

To make spaghetti aglio e olio you will need:

• 250g of spaghetti

• 3 garlic cloves

• 5 tbsp of olive oil

• 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes

• Freshly chopped parsley

• Salt & pepper

I have to say that it's very rare I get sick of a recipe, but let me tell you folks I have been eating this dish almost daily for the past week in order to get it right! So at the moment, I don't even want to look at another blinking sausage again! That being said, it is really REALLY good eating.

I love Italian sausages, they bring so much flavour to anything you cook with them. They have a pungent garlic and fennel flavour which really gives your taste buds a tingle. However, it's not always easy to get hold of Italian sausages - well here in the UK at least - so I developed a recipe that gives you a similar flavour without having to actually make your own sausages. If you can get hold of good Italian sausages though, use those and skip straight to the cooking method. If you are going to do it this way, then please PLEASE use good quality pork sausages, with at least 95% pork content. One of the great characteristics of Italian sausages is they are very meaty and have lots of texture, which you won’t get from cheap pasty bangers! It's also important to watch your salt and pepper. Most pre-made sausages are already seasoned, so as a tip, I wouldn't add any salt to the mixture until you have fried a small piece off and tasted it, then adjust the salt if you need to..

To make my Italian sausage pasta you will need:

• 6 high quality pork sausages

• 2 + 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds

• 1 + 1/2 tsp of coriander seeds

• 1 + 1/2 tsp of oregano plus extra for the sauce

• 1 medium white or red onion

• A large handful of baby spinach leaves

• 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

• About 1/2 bottle of red wine (don't worry kids the alcohol burns off)

• A few table spoons of parmesan cheese

• 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (add more if you want it hotter)

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• About 250g of rigatoni pasta or whatever pasta you like

• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt & pepper

• Olive oil for cooking

Have I ever told you that I love prawns? Well I do. So much in fact that I remember devouring 2 kilos of the things cooked in horrendous amounts of garlic, butter and parsley, To the point I was sick! I didn't need that many I know, but I just couldn't help myself. The great thing about prawns is their versatility. They are sweet and delicate morsels, but they can stand up to some robust flavours, which in this case is chilli and garlic. It’s very simple recipe, but using fresh ingredients really does make all the difference. For me, the secret is not over cooking the prawns, not adding too much chilli that it swamps the rest of the flavours, and not burning the garlic. You get those things right, and you'll have a great meal. Now you don't have to use linguine for this recipe, spaghetti will work just fine and if you don't want to stretch to fresh prawns, then you can use frozen if you like. Just make sure you defrost them first. You could also really stretch the boat out and use langoustines, crayfish or even lobster! it's up to you.

To make my chilli and prawn linguine you will need:

Serves 2

• 250g of fresh prawns

• About 150g of dried linguine

• About 200g of cherry tomatoes

• 3 fresh garlic cloves

• Juice of half a lemon

• About 1/2 tsp of dried chilli flakes (add more if you want it hotter)

• A good handful of freshly chopped parsley

• Salt & pepper

• About 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  

Some of you may know that recently my grandfather ended up in hospital, which resulted in him having a pacemaker fitted. It was all a bit scary to say the least, but thankfully he's out of hospital and back in the comfort of his own home. The other day I made him up a bunch of meals to take over so he didn’t have to worry about cooking, and this was one of them. A quick and simple pork ragu with rigatoni pasta. It's packed full of flavour, veggies and calories to get his energy back up. Now i'm not going to claim that this pork ragu is in any way a traditional Italian recipe, more Italian inspired. It's a great midweek meal if you want something fairly quick, because it can be on the table in 45 mins. Also, you can cook it for longer if you have other stuff to do before dinner. You can leave it on low to trickle away until you're ready to eat. You can also do all the prep the night before to make life even easier. You can pre-mix the pork mince and chop all the veggies and just keep them in the fridge until the following evening. It’s also great for batch cooking and freezing any leftovers!

To make my spicy pork ragu with rigatoni you will need:

• 500g of good pork mince

• 2 tsp of fennel seeds

• 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg

• 4 garlic cloves (2 for pork 2 for sauce)

• 1 tsp of smoked paprika

• 300-350g of rigatoni pasta

• 1 x 400g tin of cherry tomatoes (or chopped)

• Fresh basil

• Thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• About 500ml of chicken stock

• 1 large carrot

• 1 stick of celery

• 1 medium sized white onion

• 2 tbsp of tomato paste

• Fresh parmesan

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

So I had a bunch of meatball mix leftover in the freezer from the IKEA series and I needed to use it up. So I created this simple, family cheesy meatball pasta bake and it was insanely good. You can use whatever meatball recipe you like, but a simple mix would be 225g of pork mince, 225g of beef mince, 1-2 tsp of dried oregano, salt and pepper. Mix it up and boom you have basic meatball. You can go extra and add some breadcrumbs, extra spices and herbs too. Or you can find a recipe on the internet/cookbook that suits your meatball requirements. This meatball pasta bake will happily feed 3-4 people with some side salad, maybe some corn on the cob, even fries and garlic bread if you want to play that game!

To make my cheesy meatball pasta bake you will need:

• 450g of meatball mix

• 250g of pasta such as penne, fiorelli, rigatoni, fusili

• 400g can of chopped tomatoes

• About 2 tsp of worcester sauce

• About 8 basil leaves

• 1 small onion

• 1 med carrot

• 1 stick of celery

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• Salt & pepper

• Oil for cooking

• About 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• Cheese for topping (I used cheddar and mozzarella)

Mac and cheese has to be one of the worlds most recognisable comfort foods, and is actually one of my favourite snacks to eat when I feel like I need a cheesy gooey fix! I stumbled across a recipe by J.Kenji Lopez-alt a few weeks back for his 3 ingredient mac and cheese and I HAD to try it.

Not just because it's a quick easy stovetop mac and cheese, but also because it only has 3 main ingredients! Cheese, evaporated milk and of course pasta. I think the science behind this method, is that the evaporated milk contains protein micelles, which act as an emulsifier with the cheese to create a super luxurious velvety sauce. If you've ever had a bad mac and cheese, where the fats in the cheese has split, and you get a grainy stringy oily mess, that's not that pleasant to eat. That's because the cheese hasn't emulsified properly. This method ensures a wonderful cheesy consistency. but the downside to this recipe is that you have to serve it straight away. Because if it sits for too long it will clag up and go stiff. However, after making this video and wanting to re heat the leftovers, I found that adding a little water as it heats, loosens the mixture enough to get it back to It’s previous delicious state.

To make J.kenji Lopez-alt's 3 ingredient mac and cheese recipe you will need:

• 170g of macaroni pasta

• 170g of cheese (cheddar, red leicester, gouda, fontina, Gruyere are all good)

• 180ml of evaporated milk

• Salt

Ragu alla bolognese is one of the most abused recipes in the world in my view. I know, because I'm guilty of it as much as anyone else. And that is not to say that the adaptations of this sauce are not good, it's just generally the proper Italian way is always going to be better in my view. This is not to be confused with bolognese alla Napoletano, which is probably closer to a spaghetti bolognese than this, as it's much more tomato based. However, a good ragu alla bolognese is what I’m making today, and honestly it is way better than any jarred crap you buy off the supermarket shelves, and a lot better for you.

You will also be surprised at how few ingredients it takes to make a really good ragu alla bolognese sauce. The only thing this sauce needs is time...lots of time. You cannot rush a sauce like this, so It's a good idea to batch cook a load of it and freeze if you want your bolognese fix anytime you want. It needs a good few hours, I’d say two hours at least low and slow, if you can give it an extra hour or two then great, as it will only get better. Like most slow cook dishes as well, it's better eaten the next day. The pasta is you serve with this is just as important as the Ragu itself, and so doesn't lend itself all that well to spaghetti. What you need is a ribbon like pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine to allow the sauce to really coat the pasta. And please, make sure to mix some of the sauce in with the pasta, don't just take all that hard work you've put in and just dump it on top.

To make my ragu alla bolognese sauce you will need:

Serves 4-5 with pasta

• 150g of minced pork (ground pork)

• 350g of minced beef (ground beef)

• 100g of unsmoked pancetta (guanciale also good)

• 200ml of dry white wine, or drinking wine of your choice

• 2 small carrots

• 1 large celery stick

• 1 medium sized onion

• 2 tbsp of tomato paste

• 150ml of full fat milk

• 150-200ml of chicken stock

• Salt and pepper

• Olive if needed

• Cooked tagliatelle (about 150g per person)

• Freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Is it lasagna or lasagne? Who knows? No one, because it's both. Regardless of that fact, it's one of the many great exports to come out of Italy and it's a doddle to make. Really, to make a good lasagna, you first need a good meat sauce (the ragu). The crucial thing to a great lasagne is giving the meat sauce the time it needs to develop it's flavour, giving you the richness you so deserve...and need! If you don't cook the meat sauce long enough, then well...your lasagne will resemble insipid drain water. I make this slightly differently to my ragu recipe, as I add canned tomatoes. I find this gives the finished lasagna some much needed sweetness and tartness, to cut through all that creamy bechamel and cheese. You can make it the day before, a few hours before you want dinner, or even batch cook a big load of meat sauce, portion it and freeze for whenever you fancy a delicious lasagne for you and your family.

To make my family lasagne you will need:

• 500g minced beef

• 250g pork mince

• 1 large brown onion

• 2 medium carrots

• 1 large celery stick

• 3 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 300ml white wine

• 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tsp of dried oregano

• 150ml milk

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• Lasagne pasta sheets (about 9-12 sheets)

• About 250g of grated mozzarella cheese

• About 50g of grated parmesan cheese

• A good handful of fresh basil leaves

For the bechamel sauce:

• 600ml milk

• 50g unsalted butter

• 50g plain all purpose flour

• About 50g grated parmesan cheese

• About 1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg

• Salt & pepper

Spaghetti carbonara is probably in my top 5 Italian recipes. It is incredibly easy to make provided you follow some crucial steps. So why then, is this simple recipe messed around with so much!? We've all seen the abhorrent creations from adding peas, double cream, mushrooms to adding chillies and even garlic. And hey, it probably tastes good....but a carbonara it aint! A proper homemade spaghetti carbonara is one of those dishes that shouldn't be messed around with, it needs protecting from the imposters. It's made with spaghetti, eggs, guanciale or pancetta, pecorino cheese and black pepper. That's just 4 ingredients if you discount the pepper! That's it, that's all you need to make carbonara. Like many Italian recipes, spaghetti carbonara falls under the Italian way of cooking called Cucina povera which roughly translates to 'poor kitchen'. It's a thrifty frugal way of cooking, and getting the best out of the little ingredients you have. A good Spaghetti carbonara is simple, cheap food that has bags of flavour. So put the mushrooms, peas and double cream down and let me show you how to make it properly.

To make my spaghetti carbonara you will need:

• 250g of bucatini spaghetti

• 4 medium sized egg yolks (Burford browns if you can, or good free range)

• About 40-50g of grated pecorino cheese plus extra for serving

• 160g of diced guanciale or pancetta

• Plenty of black pepper

• Salt for cooking the pasta

Tuna pasta bake is one of my childhood faves. We ate a lot of pasta bakes as kids, because they were filling and cheap. There certainly wasn’t a lot of money going around and so more often than not, it was the cheaper meals that we ate. But cheap doesn't have to mean crap. You'd be surprised what you can do with just a handful of store cupboard ingredients and a little bit of know-how. What's also good about my tuna pasta bake is you can switch out ingredients. Got some leftover ham that needs using up? Wang it in! Only got spring onions instead of white onion? Use those instead. You can get really creative once you know how to get the base sauce done, and learning just a few tricks. Remember, cheap doesn't mean bad, i'm cheap and I am delicious af!

To make my family tuna pasta bake you will need:

• 500g of fusilli pasta £0.53

• 250g mature cheddar cheese £1.25, half for sauce half for topping

• 200g of canned sweetcorn drained

• 650ml of whole milk

• 2 x 145g canned tuna chunks in water

• 1 small onion

• 200g of frozen peas

• 4 rashers of smoked bacon

• 50g of butter

• Salt & pepper

In my ongoing quest to help combat the rise in costs of living, today's video goes back in time to the great depression. I stumbled upon this recipe for something called hoover stew, it has just 4 ingredients - plus salt and pepper - so is it any good? This has to be one of the easiest things I've cooked so far, and one of the cheapest. Factor in the amounts used in this, the whole dish comes in under a fiver and will feed 6 people! That's less than £1 per person!

Hoover stew - like many cheap recipes - came out of hardship. During the great depression of the 1930's, food was scarce and folks had to make the best of what they had. This recipe in particular was very popular at the time, and although I used kielbasa in my version, hotdogs were the normal sausage to use. It was often served in soup kitchens all across America in Hoovervilles, or shanty towns if you like. The towns were named after the then president of the United States, Herbert Hoover. I guess this could also serve as a vessel for other ingredients such as leftover meat and vegetables. But one thing is for sure, it's definitely simple, and definitely cheap!

To make my hoover stew you will need:

• About 250g of cooked macaroni pasta

• 340g of hotdogs or kielbasa

• 1 x 340g can of sweetcorn

• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

• Salt & pepper
  

I love a good meatball, in fact I've got several recipes on the channel that include them. Today however, in keeping with my efforts to help you cook cheap and tasty grub during this cost of living crisis, I have a super easy and cheap spicy pork meatball pasta for you. I also felt a bit extra today, and so made a herby Persillade crumb to go on top, this is optional, but it costs sod all to make and it does add an extra layer of flavour. Now, one of the secrets to a great meatball is adding breadcrumbs to the meat. This isn't to bulk it out, but actually it helps keep the meatballs juicy and succulent. The bread absorbs the fat, meaning it's retained inside the meatball rather than leaking out. Also, it's best to buy pork that has a fat content of around 12 - 15%, if it's too lean, then they will be dry regardless.

To make my spicy pork meatball pasta you will need:

• About 350g of pasta (I used penne, but use your fave)

• 500g of pork mince with at least 12% fat

• 1 red bell pepper or used jarred roasted peppers

• 1 red onion (half for the sauce, a quarter for the persillade)

• About 1 tsp garlic granules

• 1+1/2 tsp of fennel seeds

• 1+1/2 tsp of chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp or dried oregano

• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

• 50g of fresh breadcrumbs

• Salt & pepper

• Olive oil for cooking

For the Persillade crumb (optional)

• About 50g of fresh breadcrumbs

• A quarter of red onion

• 1 large garlic clove

• A good handful of fresh parsley

• About 1 tsp of lemon juice (bottled is fine)

• Olive oil for cooking

Pasta Al Limone - or lemon butter pasta - is arguably one of the cheapest and quickest pasta dishes you can make. It encompasses 3 basic flavour profiles of salt, fat and acid, combined together in such a way to produce something magical. You can make this as cheap or expensive as you like, I used fresh lemon, some nice pasta and good quality butter, but you can absolutely make this with cheaper ingredients, which will bring this meal in at around £1 per portion.

To make my lemon butter pasta you will need:

For 1 person

• About 200g of spaghetti

• Zest and juice of 1/4 of a lemon

• 15-20g of butter

• About 30g of grated parmesan

• Salt & pepper

• A little olive oil (about 1 tbsp) Optional extras

• 1 sliced garlic clove

• A good few pinches of chilli flakes

Spaghetti bolognese or 'spag bol' is a staple in most British households, and whilst I have already done 2 different variations of this dish - a more western type, and a more traditional type - I wanted to strip it back, and take it back to it's bare bones to make it affordable in these testing times. The cost of living has soared in the last few months, especially with food. And although this might not be the best or most authentic bolognese you've ever had, it will certainly be the cheapest and will still hit the spot.

To make my budget bolognese you will need:

• 500g of beef mince

• 1 medium onion

• 1 medium carrot

• 2 small sticks of celery

• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

• 1 tbsp of tomato puree

• 2 cloves of sliced garlic

• About 1 tsp of dried oregano

• About 150g of dried spaghetti PER PERSON, so if feeding a family of 4 you will need a total of around 600g

• Grated cheese of your choice

• Salt & pepper

• You may need a small amount of oil if using lean beef

Cacio e pepe is arguably one the quickest, cheapest and tastiest recipes to come out of Rome. It always amazes me that the Italians can makes something so good, with very few ingredients. The secret to a great cacio e pepe is using pecorino cheese, using freshly ground black peppercorns and utilising the pasta water to make a luxurious rich creamy sauce. You can use parmesan if you can't get pecorino, but honestly the pecorino makes it.

To Make my Cacio e pepe you will need:

Feeds 2 hungry adults

• 300g of dried spaghetti

• 150g of grated pecorino cheese

• 2 tsp of whole black peppercorns

• Salt for the pasta water

A proper risotto takes an absolute age to cook, So I've created this quick, easy and tasty 'risotto' that doesn't take anywhere near as long, but still gives you that creamy satisfying texture reminiscent from a regular risotto. The secret? Well you'll have to watch the video won't you!

To make my cheats risotto you will need:

Feeds 3 with sides

• 200g of chorizo

• 1/2 large leek

• 600ml chicken stock

• 250g or orzo pasta

• 250ml of white wine

• 60g of grated parmesan plus extra for garnish

• 2 garlic cloves

• Juice of half a lemon plus zest for garnish

• 3-4 knobs of butter (about 25g)

• Salt & pepper

• 1+1/2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

• 4-6 basil leaves

It's no surprise that ham and leeks are a match made in heaven. So I've created this super easy, super quick and super cheap four ingredient ham and leek pasta recipe. PLUS I am using garlic and herb cream cheese as a cheats ingredient. It already has bags of flavour, so you won't have to go out and buy lots of other ingredients, as it already has them in.

To make my 4 ingredient - Excluding oil and S&P - creamy ham and leek pasta you will need:

Serves 4

• 320g of rigatoni pasta (or pasta of your choice)

• 200g of garlic and herb cream cheese

• 100g of ham trim

• 1 medium sized Leek

• About 1 tbsp of rapeseed or olive oil

• 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Looking for a simple yet delicious pasta recipe? My penne arrabbiata recipe is one of the easiest Italian dishes you'll ever make, but you have to follow a few simple rules to get the best out of this classic Italian dish. Don't worry though, I'll be guiding you through the whole thing step by step!

To make my penne arrabbiata you will need:

• 300g penne pasta

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2x400g tins of Italian whole tomatoes (San marzano if you can)

• About 1 tsp red chili flakes

• About 3 tbsp of decent extra virgin olive oil

• Small bunch of freshly chopped parsley plus a few stalks

• Salt to taste

• Grated fresh parmesan or pecorino to finish (optional)