Cheap Pasta Dinners

Start with the ingredients that need using, then choose among these budget-friendly pasta recipes. Lemony Ricotta & Pea Pasta suits a tub of ricotta waiting in the fridge; frozen peas let you take out just what you need. If you have a different short pasta shape, use that and follow its packet cooking time rather than assuming every shape cooks alike.

For a solo dinner, scale Lemony Tuna & Caper Spaghetti to your appetite before opening the tuna. Put any unused tuna in a suitable covered container in the fridge and follow the label’s storage guidance. For a couple, this 15-minute, one-pot recipe keeps both the cooking window and washing-up manageable. Taste before adding extra salt: tuna and capers already bring saltiness.

For a family table, Hörnli mit Ghacktem is one of this collection’s tagged family favourites. Serve the grated cheese and apple sauce separately so everyone can choose their own finishing touches. If your cupboard holds another small pasta shape rather than Hörnli, it can stand in; check the cooking time. Allow 25 minutes for the listed recipe, rather than treating it as a quick option.

At a mixed-diet table, Penne all'Arrabbiata offers a verified vegan starting point, but its heat is rated hot. Reduce the chilli for a gentler version and offer extra flakes separately. Keep any cheese topping separate, and check its ingredients against the needs of anyone adding it. The recipe’s verified tags describe the original version, not every possible swap.

For planned leftovers, choose Pasta e Fagioli, which carries both one-pot and meal-prep tags. Its 35-minute cooking time makes it a better fit for an evening with breathing room than a last-minute supper. Portion leftovers into containers, cool promptly and refrigerate. When reheating, add a splash of water if the pasta has absorbed more broth, then heat thoroughly and stir.