12 Easy Pantry Meals Using Ingredients You Already Have
When the cupboard is doing the heavy lifting, technique is your best asset. Keep the heat lively, season early and again at the end, and don’t be shy about finishing with something bright. The result isn’t a compromise—it’s dinner, on purpose.
Tomato‑Butter Pantry Pasta
Silky and deeply savory, this is the “little black dress” of weeknight dinners. Simmer a can of crushed tomatoes with a knob of butter, a pinch of sugar, and salt until glossy. Toss with hot pasta and a splash of the starchy cooking water. Finish with black pepper and anything bright—lemon zest, a handful of chopped parsley, or the last tablespoon of capers.
Swaps: Olive oil for butter. Any short or long pasta. Add a spoon of chili crisp or red‑pepper flakes for heat.
Crispy Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt
Drain and dry a can of chickpeas, then sauté in olive oil until crackling and gold. Stir in ground cumin and a grated garlic clove. Spoon over a bowl of salted yogurt and drizzle with more oil. Eat with warm pitas, toast, or a torn tortilla.
Swaps: White beans or black beans instead of chickpeas. Sour cream or labneh in place of yogurt.
Tuna‑Bean Salad on Toast
Rinse a can of cannellini beans. Flake in canned tuna, add thinly sliced red onion (or scallions), lemon, olive oil, and lots of black pepper. Pile onto crunchy toast and finish with any herb you can find.
Swaps: Sardines for tuna. Vinegar for lemon. Add chopped pickles for a deli note.
Five‑Minute Egg Fried Rice
Heat a slick of oil in a skillet. Add leftover rice and cook until steamy and a bit crisp. Push to the side, scramble a couple of eggs, then fold together with frozen peas and soy sauce. A finish of sesame oil makes it taste intentional.
Swaps: Any frozen veg. A spoon of miso or chili‑garlic sauce. Top with peanuts for crunch.
Lentil‑Tomato Stew with Toasted Spices
Sauté onion in oil with a spoon of curry powder or garam masala. Add a can of tomatoes and a cup of red or brown lentils. Cover with water or stock and simmer until tender. Serve with yogurt and a squeeze of lime if you have it.
Swaps: Split peas for lentils. Coconut milk for part of the liquid for a richer bowl.
Creamy White Beans with Greens
Warm minced garlic and a pinch of chili in olive oil. Add a can of white beans with a splash of water and simmer until brothy. Stir in torn kale or spinach until wilted. Finish with lemon and Parmesan if available. Ladle over toast.
Swaps: Any bean. Frozen spinach works nicely. A spoon of pesto changes the whole mood.
Pantry Shakshuka
Sauté onion and spices (paprika, cumin, chili). Add a can of tomatoes and simmer until thick. Make small wells and crack in eggs. Cover and cook until the whites set and the yolks are still soft. Serve with bread or spoon over rice.
Swaps: Harissa for spices. Chickpeas added for heft. Feta if you have it.
Olive‑Caper Pasta Puttanesca
Sizzle sliced garlic in olive oil. Add anchovies if you keep them; they dissolve into umami. Tip in a can of tomatoes, chopped olives, and capers. Simmer, then toss with spaghetti. Shower with parsley or nothing at all.
Swaps: Canned tuna instead of anchovies. Chili flakes for a little burn. Any pasta shape.
Smoky Beans on Buttered Rice
Warm a can of pinto or black beans with a spoon of tomato paste, a dash of smoked paprika, and a splash of water until saucy. Spoon over buttered rice and top with sliced scallions or crunchy onion bits from the pantry.
Swaps: Add corn from the freezer. Lime and hot sauce make it pop.
One‑Pan Orzo with Frozen Vegetables
Toast dry orzo in olive oil until a shade darker. Add frozen mixed vegetables and enough water or stock to cover by a finger. Simmer, stirring, until the orzo is tender and creamy. Finish with lemon and grated cheese.
Swaps: Small pasta like ditalini or couscous. A spoon of butter for gloss.
Canned Salmon Cakes with Quick Sauce
Mix canned salmon with an egg, a handful of breadcrumbs or crushed crackers, mustard, and chopped herbs if you have them. Form patties and pan‑fry until crisp. Stir together yogurt or mayo with lemon and pepper for a sauce.
Swaps: Tuna works too. Grate in zucchini or carrot for extra moisture.
Peanut‑Sesame Noodles
Whisk peanut butter with soy sauce, a little vinegar or lime, a touch of sugar or honey, and hot water until pourable. Toss with hot noodles. Add sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, or any crisp veg for contrast.
Swaps: Tahini instead of peanut butter. Chili oil for heat. Top with sesame seeds or peanuts.
A few principles that make pantry cooking feel like a plan, not a scramble
- Build a base: fat, alliums, spice. Most quick meals start tasting like dinner once onion or garlic meets hot oil.
- Use contrast: creamy plus crunchy, rich plus acidic. A squeeze of lemon, a pickle, or a handful of herbs can finish almost anything.
- Cook the staple well: heavily salt pasta water, toast grains in oil, let beans simmer until they taste of something.
