Pasta recipes from fridge and cupboard ingredients
Put dried pasta to work with tinned tomatoes, a handful of greens, chicken, mince or prawns. Choose a sauce that suits the ingredients you already have.
Choose a recipe for what you have
Tuna and sweetcorn pasta bake
A family pasta bake using cupboard tuna and sweetcorn in a simple cheese sauce. Drain the tins well so the sauce stays creamy rather than watery.
Sausage, pepper and tomato orzo
A one-pot sausage dinner with orzo simmered directly in tomato sauce. Stir regularly so the small pasta shapes do not stick to the base.
Tomato and spinach pasta
A tin of tomatoes and spinach make a simple sauce without cream.
Chicken and tomato pasta
Use diced raw chicken breast for a substantial tomato sauce.
Beef and tomato macaroni
Mince makes a spoonable sauce that coats small macaroni shapes.
Courgette and pea pasta
Use courgette and frozen peas with lemon when you want a vegetable-led bowl.
Garlic prawn spaghetti
Raw peeled prawns and garlic make a quick-cooking topping; prepare the pasta first.
Broccoli and cauliflower macaroni bake
Use broccoli, cauliflower and milk for a Cheddar-sauce bake rather than a tomato-based pasta pan.
Before choosing your meal
A tomato sauce is a useful starting point when you have a tin of tomatoes. Onion and garlic add flavour; spinach goes in near the end so it does not overcook.
For a lighter coating, reserve some pasta water before draining. Add it a spoonful at a time with vegetables or prawns; it is easier to loosen a thick sauce than rescue a watery one. For a cheese bake, cook and drain the vegetables before adding them to the sauce, so the centre does not stay hard or watery.
Follow the pasta packet for timing and check its wheat or egg ingredients. Raw chicken, mince and prawns each need their own doneness checks before combining with cooked pasta.