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Tuna is one of the most divisive ingredients around. Some love it, and some can't even stand to be in the same room as it - and for years, I was somewhere in the middle.

But it's high in protein and serves as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, so I have been trying to eat it at least once a week. Sick of mixing it with mayo and using it as a filling for sandwiches or pittas, I decided to try out Nigella Lawson's tuna pasta recipe. There's no mayonnaise involved - it's light and fresh, and perfect for spring.

One of the great things about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are storecupboard staples. Things like tuna, olive oil, salt and chilli flakes make this a cheap and easy dish to whip up whenever you need something fresh and tasty.

I made this on a weeknight, and I was delighted to discover that the tuna mix can be made when the pasta is boiling, so that all you have to do is mix everything together and serve right away.

It's full of fresh flavours thanks to the addition of lemon juice and rocket, and I truly can't wait until the weather gets warmer because I know that this will taste even better. Speaking of which, I sneakily added in one extra ingredient at the end, which may well go against the rules of Italian cooking - but it was the icing on the cake, so I have no regrets.

Here's how to make it at home.

Ingredients

• 200g spaghetti
• Salt for pasta water
• One can of tuna (oil packed)
• Zest and juice of an unwaxed lemon
• Clove of garlic (peeled)
• Three spring onions (finely sliced)
• Quarter teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
• Half teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
• 15ml tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 25g rocket

Method

As with most pasta recipes, the first thing you need to do is boil a large pot of heavily salted water and pop the spaghetti in to boil while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Then, in a large bowl, add the tuna, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. The recipe calls for half a clove, but I am a huge garlic lover, so the full thing was required.

Stir in the sliced spring onions, then add the chilli flakes and salt, giving it a taste to see if you need any more. This was smelling incredible at this point, so fresh and zingy, with plenty of flavour. Finally, whisk in the olive oil, and the tuna mixture is ready to be added to the pasta.

Crucially, before draining it out, make sure to reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water as this will thicken up the tuna and allow it to mix with the spaghetti much easier. I tossed the spaghetti with the gorgeous salty savoury mix and plated it up, but there was something missing.

Adding parmesan to a fish pasta is far from traditional, and may be frowned upon by Italians. And I can understand why - chefs will want to protect those light and fresh flavours of the sea, and the hard cheese can be a bit overpowering sometimes.

But it was such a dark, dreary night that I needed some extra comfort, and a fluffy dusting of parm was just perfect. It added even more of a savoury flair to the dish, and you could still taste those briny, salty undertones of the tuna and the zinginess of the lemon.

This was the perfect midweek pick-me-up, and if you're on the fence about tuna pasta, then I highly recommend giving it a go.