What are the items you always have in your pantry? This Pantry Pasta Recipe uses a combination of pantry staples that means dinner is never too far away!
I recently asked a group of friends which two items they always keep in their pantry. The consensus was pasta and tinned tomatoes or passata, followed by rice.
I have well stocked pantry. It is not large but it is FULL. I keep key items that are repeated in our menu plan stocked at all times. A well stocked pantry:
- Can serve as an effective cost saving measure. By maintaining a basic set of regularly used ingredients you are able to reduce shopping/supermarket trips and buy your pantry staples in bulk or on sale.
- Aids creativity – as you use an ingredient on hand rather than heading to the shops.
- Ensures that you can always put a meal on the table. Include ingredients high in flavor such as anchovies, sun dried tomatoes, olives, capers, and a wide variety of herbs and spices in your pantry to pair with staples such as grains, pasta and flours. This will allow for flexible meal planning when you are unprepared, or when an event changes your plans.
Pantry Pasta Recipe
This Pantry Pasta recipe provides a perfect example of cooking from the pantry. It is one that I have used many times at the end of a busy week or when things have just not gone to plan. The recipe allows for the simple addition or deletion of ingredients that you have available in your pantry or garden, and it is easy to adjust to suit your family’s taste.
The key is the inclusion of one ingredient with a strong flavor – in the recipe below it is the anchovy or the chilli (or both if you are adventurous!) You may leave both of these out if they are not flavors enjoyed by your family and instead select to add one of the ingredients from the Additional Ingredients list included below.
Additional Ingredients (select one):
- Tinned tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Roasted capsicum
- Chicken or prawns
- Basil
- Feta
- Pine nuts or almonds
Pantry Pasta Recipe
This Pantry Pasta Recipe utilizes a combination of pantry staples that means dinner is never too far away, even when plans change.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup quinoa – cooked and drained
- 1 tablespoon oil of choice
- 3 cloves fresh garlic – chopped
- 1-2 anchovy fillet/s chopped finely (optional)
- ½-1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes – chopped
- Generous handful of fresh parsley leaves (substitute with 1 and ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
- Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese to serve
- 3-4 grinds of black pepper per serving
- Dry spaghetti to serve 4
Instructions
- Set two saucepans of water to boil – one for the quinoa and one for the spaghetti.
- Once the water is boiling add the quinoa and cook for 10 minutes – it is ready when the little tails appear. Drain and set aside.
- Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente.
- When the pasta is almost cooked, heat a pan to medium heat and add the oil, garlic, anchovy and chilli flakes (if using). After a few minutes add the sun dried tomatoes.
- Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan. Add quinoa also. Stir to coat and combine.
- Dress with the fresh parsley and Parmesan.
Notes
Additional Ingredients (select one):
- Tinned tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Roasted capsicum
- Chicken or prawns
- Basil
- Feta
- Pine nuts or almonds
For more family dinner ideas, check out these related recipes;
Kyrstie Barcak is a mum to two boys aged 6 and 3 years. She writes about the fresh produce grown in their family garden and the seasonal menus
that result at A Fresh Legacy-Grow Fresh Cook Fresh. Kyrstie is passionate about cooking fresh meals for her family and friends. She supports local farmers and producers when there is not enough to collect from her garden and likes to make her family’s food from scratch.
