MELISSA THOMPSON’S 8 MUST-TRY COOKING PROJECTS,

Yes, you read that right – every ingredient gets cooked in the same pan. Harnessing all the wonderful flavours from the meatballs that are browned at the start, the pasta then cooks in the tomato sauce releasing its starch directly into the dish, creating a rich, luxurious sauce that clings to the pasta strands. I like to serve this dish with a scattering of crispy pesto-flavoured crumbs. Take the easy route and use a packet of shop-bought croutons, crushed up – they look great and add a crisp contrast to the spaghetti.

SERVES 4 with leftovers PREP 5 mins COOK 20 mins EASY

olive oil, for frying and drizzling 16 pre-made raw meatballs 3 garlic cloves, grated 1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp chilli flakes

400g spaghetti

2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 25g parmesan, finely grated, plus

extra to serve handful of basil leaves, chopped large handful of flavoured croutons,

crushed (I use basil pesto flavour)

Bring a full kettle or a large saucepan of water to the boil.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole dish or a deep ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs for about 8 mins, turning frequently, until browned all over and cooked through. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. Keep warm.

3 Add another drizzle of oil to the pan and fry the garlic for 1 min over a low heat, then add the oregano, chilli flakes, spaghetti and tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift anything that has caught. Fill both the tomato cans with boiling water from the kettle, add to the dish, and season.

4 Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 mins, stirring every few mins, until the pasta is just cooked and the sauce is clinging to the strands.

5 Dot the meatballs over the pasta, submerging them a little in the hot pasta and sauce, then sprinkle with the parmesan. Scatter over the basil and serve immediately with a drizzle of oil and a scattering of the crushed crispy croutons.

GOOD TO KNOW fibre • iron • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 645 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 7g •

carbs 85g • sugars 10g • fibre 7g • protein 33g •

salt 0.7g