My go-to lazy girl pasta

Spaghetti with blistered butter beans, spinach and lemon

This is one of my favourite quick dinners: simple and satisfying, with that oily, salty, lemony thing going on that makes you want to eat it straight from the pan. I love using wholemeal spaghetti for its nutty, rustic bite, but any pasta you have will do. The spinach wilts beautifully into the pasta, and those blistered butter beans on top are just magic.

You really don’t need cheese, but if you’d like to add some parmesan, go right ahead. It’s also lovely with smoked salmon, tuna, or a scattering of herbs like basil or flat-leaf parsley

You’ll need:

• wholemeal spaghetti (or about 400g pasta of your choice)

• a few large handfuls of baby spinach (or greens of your choice)

• 1 large lemon (juice & zest)

• a tin of butter beans or chickpeas

• extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt & cracked pepper

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To make:

1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook your spaghetti until just shy of al dente. In the last minute of cooking, throw in the spinach to wilt.

2. While that’s happening, heat a splash of olive oil in a pan. Add the drained butter beans and cook over medium heat until blistered and crispy.

3. Drain the pasta and spinach, reserving a little cooking water. Return it to the pot or a big bowl. Add the lemon zest, juice, and a generous glug of olive oil. Toss well, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed.

4. Pile into bowls, top with the butter beans, and finish with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

   Serves 4

Dinner, done. Simple, nourishing, and ridiculously good. Eleanor xxx