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Pasta remains a favourite option for countless households seeking something comforting, swift and straightforward to make. Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett has recently revealed her talent for transforming even the most basic pasta recipes.

During a recent instalment of the Dish from Waitrose podcast, Angela prepared one of her beloved pasta dishes for actress Gemma Arterton. She combined linguine with coastal-inspired flavours, utilising crab and fennel as the centrepiece of the meal. Even more impressively, it requires just ten minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking time, making it ideal for a rapid midweek supper.

In a clip posted to TikTok, the chef demonstrated how she elevates a straightforward pasta dish.

The genuine secret behind any excellent pasta dish, which Angela champions, is utilising pasta water. When combining all the ingredients in the pan, you need to ensure you're incorporating a splash of the reserved pasta water, reports The Mirror.

Angela said: "The key to all of this is your reserved pasta water."

Add roughly a cup of the pasta water, then toss everything together to coat the pasta thoroughly. Incorporating pasta water into sauce functions as a binding agent that helps emulsify fats, enriches the texture with starch, and enables the sauce to adhere to the pasta.

The starchy, salty water prevents watery sauces, binds oil and/or cheese, and allows the sauce to coat each noodle evenly. For an added burst of colour and flavour, toss a handful of wild rocket leaves into the pasta once everything has been combined.

Angela continued: "Mmm, that is lovely. I hope Gemma likes it."

Gemma described the dish as "beautiful".

At the time of writing, the video has already amassed over 18,400 views, garnering 972 likes and seven comments. AA simply commented: "Delicious."

Another agreed: "God Angela is GORG."

Here's how you can recreate Angela's favourite pasta at home for a true taste of Italy.

Ingredients

• Two tbsp olive oil
• One bulb/s fennel, halved, core removed, then finely sliced
• One shallot, finely sliced
• 150g linguine (or and pasta shape of your choice)
• One mild red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• One unwaxed lemon, zest of half and juice of whole
• 15 basil leaves, shredded
• 100g white crab meat

Method

Warm one tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the fennel and shallot and season. Cover with a lid and sweat gently for five minutes until soft, then uncover and fry for a further five minutes, stirring frequently until beginning to caramelise.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Simmer for one minute less than stated on the pack instructions.

Just before draining, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water and set aside. Combine the chilli and finely grated zest from half the lemon with the fennel, then add the drained pasta along with six tablespoons of the reserved cooking water and toss everything together.

Mix through the juice of the whole lemon along with most of the basil and crab meat, then portion out between plates and finish with a drizzle of the remaining one tablespoon of oil.

Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with the leftover basil before serving.