Smoked tuna spaghetti

When I was single, this dish kept me alive. If I had not found this combination, I would have existed entirely on toast and red wine, so we can thank it for my healthy heart and buttocks today. Back then it was far less gourmet - simply "tuna spaghetti", but now in the modern era, we can get lots of lovely little gourmet things in tins, and smoked tuna is one of my favourites.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini (courgette) coarsely grated
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and smashed once with the back of the knife)
• 1 tin of smoked tuna (220g), drained
• 1 lemon, finely grated rind and flesh then juiced.
• 250g spaghetti
• Parmesan, good olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions:

1. Put the water on to boil and add the garlic and salt. When boiling add the spaghetti (for the lowest common denominator - you have to stir it every now and then or it will stick together)
2. When cooked, drain, remove garlic clove and stir through the grated zucchini, flaked smoked tuna and lemon rind.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and crack pepper over the top then garnish with parmesan.

Serves two hearty eaters, or three or four waifs.

That's right - you don't need to cook anything but the pasta. A couple of notes for the more adventurous; anything that will flavour soup will flavour the pasta as it cooks - chili, rosemary, stock cubes, etc. It's an easy way to flavour plain spaghetti - or any pasta you favour. This is just one flavour combination. You could substitute the smoked tuna for sweet chili tuna in a tin, or try it with rosemary, chilli, chopped tomato and black olives. Or maybe smoked salmon, capers, lemon and chives...

Love a little one-pot wonder!