DELICIOUS RECIPES

Mouthwatering meals like these scrummy sundaes that can all be made in a flash, in a pan, from former Bake Off winner John Whaite

A few years ago, one-pan pasta dishes were, to use a phrase I hate, bang on trend. The results were nothing but soggy tomatoes floating around with waterlogged pasta. This recipe doesn’t require any draining, because the pasta water – what little is left of it – becomes the sauce, so everything that goes into the pan, stays in the pan.

Serves 2

1tsp olive oil

140g (5oz) smoked pancetta or bacon lardons

1 banana shallot, finely

sliced

125ml (4fl oz) dry white wine, plus a drop extra to finish

250g (9oz) dried

farfalle pasta

450ml (16fl oz) water

¼ of a chicken stock cube

100g (3½oz) frozen

petit pois

100g (3½oz) rocket

leaves, roughly chopped

50g (1¾oz) Parmesan

cheese, finely grated

4tbsp double cream

A small handful of

parsley, roughly chopped

A pinch of freshly grated

nutmeg Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Set a frying or sauté pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the oil, pancetta or lardons and the shallot and fry, tossing regularly, for 3 minutes, until the shallot is soft and slightly charred.

Add the wine and allow it to bubble and almost entirely evaporate – about a minute – then add the pasta and water and crumble in the ¼ stock cube. It will look as though there isn’t enough water to cover the pasta, but don’t worry, it will be fine. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the peas and pop a lid on, or cover. Cook for another 3 minutes.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove the lid and turn the heat down to low. Add the rocket, Parmesan, cream, parsley and nutmeg, and stir to coat everything well, then cook for a minute or two, just to allow the cheese to melt and the rocket leaves to wilt. Add a little extra splash of wine to lift everything, season to taste, stir, then remove from the heat and serve.