When you think of ‘comfort food’, your mind probably goes to warming autumnal or wintry dishes. But given how unpredictable the weather is right now, we’re making the case for summer comfort.

This pasta bake is less stodgy than most and is bursting with goodness. Pasta aside, the main ingredient is the humble walnut – one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. They’re rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and minerals. A 2022 study found that eating a walnut-rich meal can reduce levels of bad cholesterol, while a single serving of the nut will get you over the recommended daily allowance of brain-boosting omega-3.

Red kidney and black beans make up the fibre and protein portion of the dish, while mushrooms add a dose of vitamin D. Remember: warm, fresh pasta is delicious and filling but cold, leftover pasta boasts its own benefits. Uncooked pasta contains something known as resistant starch – a form of carbohydrate that our digestive enzymes find hard to break down into glucose. When pasta is cooked, that resistant starch is broken down into a form which is easier to digest, causing more glucose to be released into the body and leading to an increased blood sugar spike. As pasta cools, the carbs within it get reorganised back into resistant starch, making it more blood sugar-friendly.

And because resistant starch is hard to digest, it tends to make it through the digestive system intact, eventually ending up in the colon where it becomes fuel for our gut bacteria to snack on.

This brain-healthy walnut pasta bake is the ultimate cloudy day comfort food