Turn simple pleasures into something special

Raid the cupboard and ransack the freezer to make these deceptively delicious dinners, says Angela Hartnett

The simple things in life can be the best: cooking does not always have to be challenging or complicated. People expect Michelinstarred chefs to cook fussy food, but some of the tastiest things to make are straightforward: I’m not ashamed to say I recently had a Walkers crisps and Warburtons white bread buttered sandwich for a lockdown snack, as well as baking my own loaves at home inspired by the baker Richard Bertinet.

Since our restaurants have closed, my husband Neil and I have had more time in the evenings, and last week it was so warm we were fortunate enough to be able to sit outside and eat supper. We lit a fire and sat around it with a bottle of wine from our local Hackney wine shop Passione Vino (which is now delivering nationwide), playing cards. We felt very lucky.

This week’s easy recipes are all made with ingredients from the larder, and can be adapted according to what you have. If you haven’t got chickpeas for the chickpea soup overleaf, for example, substitute with butter or cannellini beans, and add celery if you have it.

If you don’t have any chicken for the noodle soup you could just make it with vegetables, but it’s a dish I tend to make at home with the leftovers from a roast chicken. The sweetcorn adds a burst of sweetness and texture: it’s a useful frozen or tinned ingredient that can be overlooked, but which is versatile enough to add to broths and salads. The rigatoni with bacon, peas and cream is one way to clear out the frozen peas in your freezer: you can add salami or chorizo, or parmesan rinds, if you have them.

Feel free to experiment: add dried apricots or dates to the spicy tuna rice salad, and use up the things you’ve already got, and get stuck in.