Lilly Higgins: One-pot recipes are the ultimate convenience

I’m always so smitten with one-pot recipes. They’re the ultimate convenience, for cooking and cleaning up afterwards. They also ensure that the entire dish is imbued with flavour. No element is left unseasoned with a well-made one-pot. Vodka penne pasta and pasta puttanesca are two that work well when everything is tipped into the one pot.

Pasta, rice or grains are ideal for these dishes. This time of year I’m drawn to the comfort of carbohydrates, so there tends to be much more pasta served up. The last of the courgettes and some seasonal mushrooms melt together perfectly in this creamy sauce tangled with spaghetti.

You can add some pancetta at the start when frying the mushrooms, for a salty smoky addition. A thick blanket of finely grated Parmesan and a grinding of black pepper is all this needs once it’s served up.

I’ve gotten into the habit of serving a big green salad with everything over the past few years. And it always gets eaten. When I looked at our vegetable intake throughout the day, I realised dinner time was the prime time for vegetables, so I try and make sure they take centre stage as often as possible.

Consuming slightly less salt can have big health benefits

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This smoky lentil stew is one-pot comfort-food perfection

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A delicious frangipane apple and almond tart enriched with a splash of Irish apple brandy

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A big green salad plays a great supporting role in this dinner. I buy lovely organic leaves. I wash them all as soon as I buy them, tear them into bitesize pieces, give them a whirl in the salad spinner and place them back into the ziploc bag they came in. A good quality salad spinner is a key piece of kitchen equipment, especially when handling more delicate ingredients such as herbs and salad leaves. I have an aversion to undercooked mushrooms. They have so much potential to be absolutely delicious, but cooking them the wrong way can be disastrous. Always start with a hot pan and the flavour will be sealed in and guarantee you don’t end up with watery mushrooms.

I saute the mushrooms and garlic for a few minutes first, before layering in the rest of the ingredients. Make sure to put the spaghetti at the base and everything else on top so it cooks evenly. Using stock instead of water gives this dish an additional boost in flavour. Feel free to add any extra vegetables such as roast squash, peas or chopped tomatoes. The more flavour the better.

Recipe: One-pot mushroom and courgette spaghetti