Make this recipe even easier: The hack of frying a whole batch of soffrito and only using half is a great one, to save time when you next make it. Then all you have to do is defrost it, add lentils, tomato puree and stock. Bubble and you’re done. It saves time chopping. I also sometimes chop everything in my little food processor. It saves time and minces it really finely. If you don’t want to make the herby sauce (please do though, it really lifts the whole dish), then just scatter with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

How to get your children to eat it too: I admit that lentils can be tricky with children. Mine sometimes love them and sometimes won’t touch them with a barge pole. They love fish and particularly the crispy skin, so that’s always a winner. I offer the green sauce on the side for dipping. And I normally cook some broccoli for them to have on the side.

A note on sea bream: sea bream is delicious and underrated, in my opinion. It’s often on the menu when you’re out but it’s definitely less used at home. If you can’t find sea bream, any white fish is great. Try sea bass, which is closest to sea bream, but something chunkier and thicker like haddock, cod or even salmon and trout would work. You could also swap for a roasted chicken thigh. That would be good. You can buy simple fillets of sea bass and bream easily in the supermarket and so quick to cook. A great option for a weeknight. If you want to double the recipe, here’s what to do: Very easily doubled - just double all ingredients for the lentils and the fish. I would make the green sauce with the same quantities for two as for four, as I find that it’s always plenty and you will have lots left over to use throughout the week.

Make it veggie: this is delicious even without the fish. Maybe swap the fish for a crispy fried egg. As for the green sauce, omit the anchovies and blend as usual. If you have it, I would add maybe ½ tsp of miso paste. It almost replicates the umami of the anchovies without actually using them. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, it will be delicious without it.

A note on anchovies: Don’t skip them in the herby sauce as they add a real depth of flavour. You may even have a jar of anchovies leftover from last week’s sausage & fennel pasta recipe. I buy them in the jar rather than the flat tins, as then you can easily reseal and keep in the fridge. They last well this way.

A note on the mascarpone: Truth be told I usually use yoghurt but I happened to have mascarpone in the fridge that I wanted to use up. Realistically, any creamy product works here. Creme fraiche is great. Cream cheese would also work or even just double cream. Even when recipe testing, it’s often a case of me using what I have to hand and I really hope you will do the same thing to - read the recipe, see what you have to hand and adapt as necessary.

What to serve with this: this is a meal in itself but of course you can add a few more veggies to the side to up the green - sautéed spinach, tenderstem broccoli, asparagus.

What to do with leftovers: I try to avoid leftover fish as it’s just always best when freshly cooked, it never reheats super well. The lentils, however, reheat really nicely. Any leftover lentils, transfer to an airtight container and they’ll keep in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat either in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat until bubbling, I like to add a splash of water to encourage it to loosen and turn saucy again. It’s really good with a fried egg on top for a speedy lunch. Leftover herby sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. It may discolour a little but will still taste good. It can be used in so many ways. It’s great as a salad dressing - I know it’s not quite the season - but chop some cucumber, a few cherry tomatoes, shave the fennel thinly (if you didn’t use the rest in the soffrito) and then toss with a few spoons of the sauce. So good. It’s also great drizzled over some crispy roasted potatoes. Drizzled over fried eggs on toast.