If, like me, you like the idea of entertaining your guests with your skill in the kitchen, but realise that the reality may diverge from the dream, then here are some ideas for a pretty straightforward meal with Mediterranean influences that will leave your fish eating chocolate loving guests fit to burst with pleasure (especially if you pour some good wines with their meal): pasta with sardines and chocolate pots to finish them off.

What you need (for 2 people):

Linguine – 150g
Large oranges (preferably blood oranges) – 2
Parsley – a small bunch of flat leaf
Olive oil
Fresh breadcrumbs – 90g
Garlic cloves – 5
Sardines in olive oil – 250g

How you do it:

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil (for the pasta).
Peel the oranges and slice them thinly.
Chop the parsley.

Depending on the pasta cooking instructions, it will probably require roughly 10 minutes cooking time so put it into the boiling water. Warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in shallow pan. Peel and finely chop the garlic and sauté it lightly for a few minutes – allowing it to go soft. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and continue cooking – stirring regularly to avoid burning the breadcrumbs.

Meanwhile, place the sardines into a small ovenproof dish and grill them until they begin to sizzle (this will probably take around five minutes – depending on the grill setting).

Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the warm breadcrumbs, the grilled sardines, the sliced orange and the chopped parsley. If the mixture looks a little dry at this stage, add some warmed olive oil before serving.