A deliciously satisfying yet simple supper that will help you appreciate the small things in life...

Of all the many lessons 2020 appears to be trying to teach me (planning is futile, patience is a virtue, the health and happiness of the people you love is all that matters, the bra really is a pointless invention, and even a pandemic can’t make you find a use for that multicoloured farfalle you brought back from Positano in 2014), the one I can’t seem to get to grips with is this

whole “appreciate small pleasures” thing. “Appreciate the small things in life,” people chirp. “The little wins.” If I’ve learnt one thing it’s that I am very bad at focusing on the small things. I’m much better at big, splashy, never-going-to-happen daydreaming or gigantic, awful, probably also never-going-to-happen existential dread.

Sure, I can settle into a good bath. I can appreciate the beauty of a tree with its autumn finery or the joy of hot coffee on a crisp morning. But my mind will still be whirring through to-do lists in the background of this “small pleasures” moment. The only place where I’m able to really switch my brain off is the kitchen.

This week, mealtimes have been about putting my mind to new concoctions. My mum sent me a cheering box of tomatoes, which have been bringing sunshine to the kitchen and ended up in most meals. A particularly good one was a mulch of fennel, garlic, tomato and white wine into which I threw a handful of tiny ditalini pasta and frozen peas.

You could just as easily have this iteration for brunch, cracking a couple of eggs over the pan at the last minute and popping it under the grill. We had it for a comforting, simple supper with thick toast rubbed with garlic. And for the 20 minutes it took to come together, I was able to focus on a “small thing” – the prospect of a good dinner.