After a long day the last thing many of us want is to spend hours in the kitchen – but eating healthy doesn’t have to take a backseat to convenience.

Whether you’re craving something fresh, flavourful, or comforting, these quick and nutritious recipes can be whipped up in under 30 minutes – perfect for refueling your body without the stress.

From vibrant pasta dishes to a bowl of chickpea and pomegranate goodness, former personal chef Natalia Rudin (aka Nat’s Nourishment) proves that healthy eating can be fast, simple, and absolutely delicious.

Cooking Fast and Slow by Natalia Rudin is out now (photography Issy Croker)

Basil, courgette and pistachio pasta

200g mafaldine (or use linguine, pappardelle or spaghetti)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large courgette, sliced into ½ cm rounds
Handful of pistachios, shelled
1 garlic clove
Big handful of fresh mint, chopped
Big handful of fresh basil, chopped
Big handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt and black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan (big enough to hold the cooked pasta) and fry the courgette rounds until golden brown.

Bash up the pistachios with a large pestle and mortar and then remove them. Do the same with the garlic, along with a pinch of salt, until it turns into a paste and then add all the herbs and bash together with the garlic.

If you have enough space, continue bashing and grinding and then add the pistachios back in with the rest of the olive oil.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan with the courgettes, followed by the herby paste and a splash of pasta water. Mix so that the paste coats the pasta and finish with a big squeeze of lemon juice.

Harissa chickpeas with squash and pomegranate

Serves 2

Harissa chickpeas with squash and pomegranate (Photo: Issy Croker)

½ butternut squash (500g), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
½ red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp harissa paste
1 x 400g tin chickpeas (keep the liquid)
200ml hot vegetable stock
Salt and black pepper

For the tahini drizzle:

2 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
3 tsp water, to loosen

To serve:

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F/Gas mark 5.

Arrange the squash cubes in a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp ofhalf the olive oil, season with salt and roast for 40 minutes.

Heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomato purée and harissa and cook for another minute or so. Pour in the chickpeas with the chickpea water from the tin, followed by the stock. Season well with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mix together all the tahini drizzle ingredients until you have a thick consistency, then drizzle straight over the chickpeas and top with the roasted squash. Serve topped with pomegranate seeds, parsley and pine nuts and enjoy with some good bread.

Charred cauliflower on sesame beans

Serves 4

Charred cauliflower on sesame buns (Photo: Issy Croker)

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 cauliflower
½ red onion, sliced into half-moons
Juice of ½ lemon
1 shallot, diced
4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
1 x 700g jar cannellini beans (or 2 x 400g tins)
100ml vegetable stock
3 tbsp tahini
Salt and black pepper

To serve

Handful of chopped parsley
Handful of pomegranate seeds
Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat.

Quarter the cauliflower and then add the chunks to the pan, flat edges down, with a pinch of salt. Cook for five to seven minutes on both flat sides. Once they look golden, transfer to the lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Put the sliced red onion into a bowl, squeeze over the lemon juice and add a big pinch of salt. Leave to sit for five minutes and then lightly stir with your fingers until light pink. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add another tbsp of oil to the same pan and fry the shallot with a pinch of salt for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before pouring in the beans and liquid, along with the stock. Bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer for five minutes before stirring through the tahini. Add a splash more water if it looks too dry.

Top the beans with the cauliflower and serve with the pickled onions, chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds and sesame seeds.