Top 10 storecupboard pasta ideas
Make use of storecupboard essentials with our easy pasta recipes. Use up chopped tomatoes, tinned tuna and more with our big batches and pasta bakes.
Put your canned ingredients to work with our filling pasta dishes. See our ragu, bolognese and puttanesca recipes – perfect for midweek meals and batch cooking.
To save on time, try making a big batch of sauce to use with a variety of shapes. See our tomato sauce, pesto and cheese sauce recipes.
For the ultimate selection of thrifty dishes, see our storecupboard recipes and storecupboard one-pots.
1) Tuna & sundried tomato pasta bake
Raid the storecupboard for this chunky tuna & sundried tomato pasta bake. Use up chopped tomatoes, jarred sundried tomatoes, canned sweetcorn and canned tuna. It's rich and creamy with cheddar, parmesan and double cream.
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2) Caponata pasta
Veggies will love this easy caponata pasta loaded with three of your five-a-day. Use a big jar of chargrilled Mediterranean veg like peppers and aubergines and combine with tomatoes, capers and raisins. Get this speedy dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.
3) Tuna pasta bake
This budget-friendly tuna pasta bake is a great way to use up tinned tuna and canned sweetcorn. Combine rigatoni with a creamy, cheesy sauce, then add chunky fillings and top with cheddar. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese on top is golden and starting to brown.
4) Spaghetti puttanesca
Cook up this one-pan spaghetti puttanesca for a filling midweek meal packed with storecupboard ingredients. Chopped tomatoes, anchovies, black olives and capers are the base of this simple sauce. Toss with spaghetti and a sprinkle of parsley.
5) Creamy pesto & kale pasta
Use up some penne or mafalda with this healthy creamy pesto & kale pasta. It requires minimal ingredients such as soft cheese, fresh pesto and hearty kale. It's low in fat and makes a great vegetarian midweek dinner. You can use jarred pesto instead if you have it in the cupboard.
6) Spaghetti with smoked anchovies, chilli breadcrumbs & fried egg
Try Diana Henry's spaghetti with smoked anchovies, chilli breadcrumbs & fried egg for the ultimate storecupboard supper. Turn some leftover, stale bread into breadcrumbs then fry with garlic and chilli flakes until golden brown. Toss with chopped anchovies and spaghetti and top with a fried egg.
7) Chicken pasta bake
Make a big batch of this cheesy chicken pasta bake for a super filling family supper. Slice up some chicken breasts and pan-fry until cooked through. Combine with a simple tomato sauce and cooked pasta, then top with grated mozzarella and cheddar.
8) Sardine storecupboard spaghetti
Whip up this quick sardine storecupboard spaghetti for an easy dinner for one. Use up cupboard classics like sardines, green olives and capers. Combine with cherry tomatoes and garlic and toss with spaghetti for a cheerful supper.
9) Sausage ragu
Fill up on this classic sausage ragu for a family-friendly supper. Combine pork sausages with a simple tomato sauce and top with a generous sprinkling of parmesan. To get ahead for the week, make a big batch and freeze the rest.
10) Big-batch bolognese
Cook up this healthy big-batch bolognese which makes up to 12 servings. Use up storecupboard classics like chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and dried mixed herbs. It's super filling with minced beef, sliced mushrooms and chopped veg.
Enjoyed these thirfty meals? See more recipes...
Top 10 storecupboard recipes
Canned food recipes
Top 10 vegetarian storecupboard recipes
Batch cooking recipes
Our top 10 favourite canned foods
All our storecupboard recipes
Storecupboard one-pot recipes
Top 10 healthy storecupboard recipes
How do you like to use up storecupboard ingredients? Leave a comment below...
As many countries urge populations to stay at home, many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the food we eat can support our health. To help sort out the fact from the fiction, BBC Future is updating some of their most popular nutrition stories from their archive.
