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I put pickles on pretty much anything. During my second pregnancy I panicked on getting near to the bottom of my last jar of Marks & Spencer’s mustard seed gherkins.

Most of the time pickles, gherkins and cornichons are eaten cold, to make the most of their crunch and acidity. But they keep their crunch when added to soups and stews, bringing texture anda hit of sour interest. Here they sit next to onions, beans and greens and a smattering of dill to make a quick stew that tastes much more layered and complicated than it is to make.

This orzo cooks all in one pan to a satisfying deep purple with the spoonable feeling of a risotto. You can use any colour of beetroot you like here; I love the deep magenta of the red ones but yellow and pink work well too.

Recipe from my book: 'One Pot, Pan, Planet'

Pasta has my heart like nothing else. My love affair with it was cemented when making stuffed agnolotti, caramelle and everything in between in restaurant kitchens, but it started with something simpler: my mum’s lasagne. This lasagne is something slightly different but still as nostalgic and comforting. It is the quickest I’ve made, ready for the oven in 10 minutes (not the hour it normally takes), yet there is still a rich deep tomato sauce and those crisp, baked edges to fight over.

I don’t pre-cook my lasagne sheets as they cook in the sauce and I like them a little al dente. If you prefer them softer you could use fresh pasta sheets here. This recipe was originally inspired by one of my all- time favourite cooks, Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com.

Recipe from my book: One: Pot Pan Planet

I sat down with Hollywood Icon Stanley Tucci to talk food, inspiration and California Cuisine.