Greens
I’ve used cavolo nero but you can switch out for spinach, kale, basil even. Spinach alone can taste quite full on with a strong flavour of iron, which is fine but you will need to balance it with good seasoning and lemon juice. Make sure you taste and adjust as you go along.

Pasta
You can switch it out for whatever type of pasta you want. I would just cook it in the usual way you cook pasta, save some of the cooking water and then stir in the greens, the mascarpone and a little of the reserved cooking water and see how you get on. Equally, this dish would work with rice too.

Mushrooms
In a world of gorgeous mushrooms, mix it up! I prefer the chestnut ones as I think they have more flavour but you can use a mix, or whatever you can get your hands on. This cooking method is so good, getting a gorgeous caramelisation on the mushrooms and then hitting them with so much flavour, they are honestly so so good.

Mascarpone
I love mascarpone - it’s such a useful ingredient to have in the fridge to stir through pasta and risotto. Another great “not really a recipe recipe” is to roast aubergines until blistered and then serve with a dollop of mascarpone and chopped fresh mint, lemon zest and sliced red chilli. It’s great on pizza, or even stirred through scrambled egg. A dollop is also great with some grilled or poached fruit, add a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds and that’s a near perfect pud. It’s also incredible spread on toast in a thick generous layer and then drizzled with honey and some flakey sea salt.

However for this recipe if you don’t have mascarpone, don’t panic, a knob of butter and a little extra parmesan will do the job, as would a spoon of creme frâiche, cream cheese or if you’re feeling decadent, a little double cream. I do always feel it does need just a little something creamy just to balance out the rich earthiness of the greens and to contrast with the mushrooms.

Adornments
I’ve used chilli flakes here, fresh chilli would also be great. Or take things up another level and use a chilli oil or a chilli crisp. I love this White Mausu Peanut Rayu , it’s incredible drizzled on pretty much everything,

Poaching eggs
I know a lot of people swear by adding vinegar but I’ve never found that to be necessary.

Here’s what I do:

1.Heat the water to a simmer - not a boil

1. Simply use a wooden spoon to swirl the water and create a little whirlpool
2. Crack the egg into a small bowl or mug (this is important - dont be trying to crack the egg straight into the pan…it never ends well) and then lower it into the water
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the white feels firm, tender and shiny
4. Lift it out using a slotted spoon onto some kitchen paper - this is probably the most important step! Draining the egg on kitchen paper gets rid of excess water, you can also get rid of any scraggly bits of egg white that might have appeared and you can flip it over when you serve it so it looks pretty.
5. Season well with salt and pepper

That’s it!

If you really don’t want to poach an egg, a very softly boiled egg - boiled for 6 1/2 minutes on a steady boil creates the perfect jammy yolk center and firm but supple egg white. The jammy soft boiled egg is a hybrid of a poached egg and hard-boiled egg with a soft, custard-like center.