Katrina says: “This number tastes great and will take you a whole 5 minutes to prepare. The important part is adding the chardonnay with absolute abandon. If you don’t like things too hot, pare back the ’nduja – the heat will intensify as it slow cooks. It seems like a lot of zucchini, but this breaks down and, to be honest, there is nothing wrong with the leftovers the next day.” 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 100g nduja sausage
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 6 large courgettes, sliced into rounds
• 500ml chardonnay
• 250ml chicken stock

To serve:

• large pasta shells, cooked
• grated parmesan
• micro greens or soft herbs

Method

Set the slow cooker to the sauté function. Once hot, add the ’nduja and onion and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the ’nduja has begun to release its oils. 

Add everything else, then close the lid and cook for 5 hours on low. 

Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions, then add to the bowl of the slow cooker and toss everything gently to combine. Alternatively, you can serve everything separately for people to help themselves. 

Grate over an indecent amount of parmesan, sprinkle with the micro greens, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Katrina says: “The best bit about this dish – and other bean-based pasta dishes – is how the pasta is cooked with the vegetables and their cooking liquid, rather than in a separate saucepan of water. The starch combined with the dash of milk creates a rich, creamy sauce with zero effort on your part.” 

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 185g laird lentils, rinsed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves pulled
• 2 bay leaves
• pinch of chilli flakes
• 250ml white wine
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 400g short pasta, such as rigatoni or orecchiette
• 80ml whole milk

To serve:

• flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon thyme leaves
• your bodyweight in parmesan

Method

Turn on your slow cooker while you scurry about for the ingredients. Once warmed up, set to the sauté function and add the oil. Give it 30 seconds, then add the onion, carrot and garlic.

Cook for 10 minutes until soft and fragrant, then season with salt and pepper. Add the lentils, tomato paste, lemon thyme, bay leaves and chilli flakes. Cook for another few minutes just to let the flavours meld, then add the wine and stock. 

Close the lid and cook on low for 3 hours, or up to 4, until the lentils are cooked through and al dente but still holding their shape. Set the cooker to high and give it 10 minutes to come up to the right heat, then add the pasta and milk and cook for 20–25 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. 

Divide the pasta between serving bowls and garnish with the herbs and glorious amounts of cheese.

Katrina says: “This is a bit of a win for the workdays. Pop it on in the morning; it doesn’t matter if it cooks for 6 hours or 10. When you get home, you simply add the lasagne sheets and cook for 20–30 minutes and dinner is done. It has a place at the table on any old Wednesday night as much as it does on the nights you have friends over for dinner. It is a feat of comfort and culinary genius all in one. Looking at those lasagne sheets bobbing happily in the soupy, cheesy sauce is a feast for the eyes as well as the belly.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
• 500g minced beef
• 185ml whole milk
• 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100g grated parmesan
• 200g fresh lasagne sheets, roughly torn
• 1 ball buffalo mozzarella, roughly torn

To serve:

• basil leaves

Method

Set the slow cooker to the sauté function and allow to warm up. Add the oil and, once hot, add the onion. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the garlic, celery and carrot. 

Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent them catching. Add the herbs and cook for another 30 seconds before adding the beef. Cook until lightly browned, then season with salt and pepper. 

Stir in the milk and cook for another 5 minutes, or until it looks like the milk has been absorbed into the meat and none of the meat is clumping together. Add the tomatoes, stock and tomato paste, then close the lid and cook on low for 6–8 hours. 

Lift the lid and add half of the parmesan to season. Once melted into the sauce, gently push in the lasagne sheets. Close the lid and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the mozzarella and give it a minute to melt into the sauce. 

Gently spoon into serving bowls. Season again with the remaining parmesan, salt and pepper and add the fresh basil leaves just before serving.

Slow Victories by Katrina Meynink (£17.98, Hardie Grant) is out now