After the relaxation of the summer holidays, going back to university coupled with exam stress, spots and - gasp! - cooking for yourself, can all seem a bit too much like hard work.

But cooking a healthy homemade meal is nowhere near as difficult as it sounds and, given that recent MORI research discovered that university students only have an average of £29 a week to spend on food, is far easier on the wallet than TV dinners and greasy take-aways.

Silvana Franco, whose new Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook (Murdoch Books, £4.99) is a compilation of mouth-watering but simple dishes to feed even the most accident-prone in the kitchen, said: "You may think that bothering to cook for yourself is a waste of precious time and energy that could be better spent surfing the net, drinking or studying, but you need a balanced, healthy diet to function to the best of your ability both physically and mentally."

Franco's student-friendly tome is a collection of easy but nourishing recipes, top tips on food storage and hygiene, and advice on planning ahead. Here are two to try - a special spaghetti for lunch and a dinner of tuna fish cakes.

WHAT DO I NEED?Serves 2250g (8oz) spaghetti1tbsp of olive oil1 small knob of butter2 small chillies, deseeded and finely chopped2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and finely chopped4tbsp vodka4tbsp double creamsalt and freshly ground black pepperfreshly grated Parmesan, to servel Use extra olive oil if you haven't got butter, but don't substitute the vodka with any other spirit.WHAT SHOULD I DO?Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a small frying pan. Add the chillies and tomatoes, cooking for four minutes. Add the vodka and simmer rapidly for three minutes. Stir in the cream, bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Season to taste. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Divide into bowls and serve sprinkled with Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.