Lady and the Tramp style Meatballs with Spaghetti

I often make my own meatballs, it's a fun cooking activity with my daughter, but for a quick mid-week meal, I turn to shop bought. I have tried the various supermarket versions and the Tesco Finest range, are a favourite in our house – the beef ones.

This dinner can be on the table from start to finish in 20-25 minutes so is perfect during the working week when time is precious and despite a quick-made sauce the base, of onions, garlic and chilli pack it full of flavour - you could of course add some fresh herbs to further enhance too, such as torn basil leaves or thyme which would both work well here.

The chilli adds a lovely heat - but if your taste is for less heat, just add half or a quarter of the chilli.

Lady and the tramp style meatballs with spaghetti

This serves 3:

Here's how:

• Pack of 12 meatballs
• 1 white onion
• 1 red chilli
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 carton cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 green pepper
• 50g spaghetti
• Optional: cheese to grate on top (we use Parmigiana)

Firstly fill and boil the kettle for your pasta water - this speeds up the process and if it's good enough for Jamie, it's good enough for me.

Now add the olive oil to a large non-stick pan and place on a medium heat.

Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and slice the red chilli and add to the pan to really flavour the oil, then once slightly softened add the meatballs.

In the meantime, dice the pepper and halve the tomatoes and once the meatballs have started to brown, add to the pan.

At the same time place your pasta on to cook, with a pinch of salt.

Add the tomato puree, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the pan of meatballs and stir to combine the sauce and reduce down the liquid from the tomatoes.

Meatballs in the sauce

Once the pasta is cooked, take a spoonful of the cooking water and add to the meatball mix then stir through to loosen up the sauce and help coat the pasta.

Now drain the spaghetti and add the pan and stir through well before serving. Enjoy!

Courgetti in a Creamy Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

I've been trying to adhere to a 1200 calorie count in a bid to shed the last stone of baby weight and just live an overall healthier lifestyle since 1st January and so far so good.

Allowing myself weekend treat meals and alcoholic beverages works well for me but sometimes I really crave the more comforting mid-week meals such as pasta.

To make up for this I have been experimenting with courgetti and butternut pasta - both to some success and here is the recipe for a creamy, yet low fat bacon, leek, mushroom and pea 'pasta' using courgetti or courgette pasta that I just love and that really ticks the comfort food box for me. Also it gives me the chance to use my spiraliser - win, win.

If you haven't got a spiraliser; you can buy courgette pre-prepared from the likes of M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury's but the fresher the courgette the better for it to hold it's shape a bit.

The below is enough for two people and each portion comes in at 380 calories.

Courgetti in a Creamy Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

Here's how:

• 2 courgettes
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 rashers smoked bacon
• 100g mushrooms
• 100g peas
• 2 leeks
• 2 tbsp half fat crème fraiche
• 30g Grana Padano cheese
• Pinch black pepper
• Small handful fresh parsley (flat or curly is fine) 
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Firstly spiralise the courgette on the finest setting to be left with spaghetti like spirals of courgette and set aside for the moment.

Add the coconut oil to a non-stick pan and place on the lowest heat setting.

Now peel and very finely dice the onion and garlic and allow to soften.

Chop the bacon into very small pieces and add to the pan.

Now slice the leeks and mushrooms and once the bacon is almost cooked through, add to the pan.

After a few minutes add the peas and cook for a further two minutes.

Now add the crème fraiche and the Grana Padano and stir. Season here and cook for a further five to ten minutes.

In the meantime, chop the parsley, ready to stir through before serving.

Now add the courgetti to the pan and stir through. You want to heat this through, but for it to remain in shape and not become to floppy - essentially for it to still have some bite.

Now remove from the pan and stir through the parsley before serving. Enjoy!