Really interesting and curious to see what dishes others will mention here. One of our weeknight staples is Japanese Kinoko Gohan / Mushroom rice - because the entire dish can be prepared in a rice cooker so is as low effort as it can be for weeknights, relies largely on pantry staples (plus fresh mushrooms but those we always have) and can be turned into a full meal with a fried egg and maybe some pickles on the side.
My childhood tomato pasta was tomato paste, garlic & vegetable stock. My adult tomato pasta is Mutti tomatoes, garlic, butter, MSG, salt & pepper. Either way, if I am feeling particularly tragic, small pasta and grated cheddar. Long pasta and parmesan or pecorino if I am feeling reasonably human.
My staple is ramen/soup noodles. I usually make it with miso base, lots of veg and whatever noodles I have in the cupboard. Tofu or egg on top if I’m hungry. It generally comes together very quickly and endless adaptable to whatever I have:))
I never make tomato pasta? Or if i do then it's a puttanesca as all the other ingredients are on the same shelf as the tin tom! Go to pasta when i can't be bother to cook is pasta + butter + marmite. Nigella's idea not mine... So delicious. Thanks for the tips though...
Enjoyed this, will be trying the onion method next time! Like to use tinned whole plum tomatoes, slightly squished with a spoon. Always enjoy channelling my inner Ready Steady Cook contestant, sweeping up any fridge remnants into pasta
Less a specific dish and more a framework - I like recipes that let you just dump everything in the pan, put the heat on, and walk away. No sautéing aromatics or reducing liquids. Meera's "Maham's Dal" recipe in East is like that, and I'm also really fond of this smitten kitchen recipe for chicken chili: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/chicken-chili/.
I guess it's a work-from-home variation on the theme - rather than putting everything together in under 30 minutes at the end of the day, it's taking 15-20 minutes to prep when you can grab it at lunchtime/the afternoon, and then all you have to do at the end of the day is serve up.
Tomato pasta is a staple in our house too. I’ve known about the halved onion method for a while but never tried it, and this excellent read has inspired me to give it a go next time.
My other weeknight go-tos are noodly broths - usually made with miso or tom yum paste and whatever veg I have. Maybe a jammy egg. Also pasta with beans in some form makes its way to our dinner table week after week.
Violently disagree with Marcella’s onion and butter method but yes to eating pasta w a tomato sauce every night of the week!! As you know i’m a purist for the Neapolitan way and must of course remain faithful to my roots so it’s garlic and olive oil for me every time. I was a bit disappointed w the Mutti polpa but do like their whole tomatoes. Mind you I only use them when on special offer and use other brands otherwise. Never mind, it’s food of the gods whatever anyone says!
Love tomato pasta, as does everyone in our house. Sometimes I like to fry some finely sliced garlic in butter and olive oil and then add the tomatoes. But also love the butter and onion method too. Another easy pasta dish that all ages in our house enjoy is broccoli (cooked with the pasta), pesto (we normally have some in the freezer) and a tub of ricotta stirred in at the end (needs some pasta water for sure). Very little effort and a crowd pleaser.
This is one of my go-to dishes if I do not have time to cook, but I am partial to extra virgin olive oil and garlic for geographical reasons. I tried to cook tomatoes in butter once and - even though I loved the result - I couldn't recognize the comforting taste of home!
Totally agree that bits of onion, especially undercooked, can be awful in sauces. Recipes often say “sauté until soft, about 10 mins” but it really takes ages and some onions never surrender. I have tried the MH method but couldn’t detect a flavour so now I ignore onions. Always add a good pinch of dried crushed chilli though. I will try butter in place of evoo next time.
Really interesting and curious to see what dishes others will mention here. One of our weeknight staples is Japanese Kinoko Gohan / Mushroom rice - because the entire dish can be prepared in a rice cooker so is as low effort as it can be for weeknights, relies largely on pantry staples (plus fresh mushrooms but those we always have) and can be turned into a full meal with a fried egg and maybe some pickles on the side.
My childhood tomato pasta was tomato paste, garlic & vegetable stock. My adult tomato pasta is Mutti tomatoes, garlic, butter, MSG, salt & pepper. Either way, if I am feeling particularly tragic, small pasta and grated cheddar. Long pasta and parmesan or pecorino if I am feeling reasonably human.
My staple is ramen/soup noodles. I usually make it with miso base, lots of veg and whatever noodles I have in the cupboard. Tofu or egg on top if I’m hungry. It generally comes together very quickly and endless adaptable to whatever I have:))
I never make tomato pasta? Or if i do then it's a puttanesca as all the other ingredients are on the same shelf as the tin tom! Go to pasta when i can't be bother to cook is pasta + butter + marmite. Nigella's idea not mine... So delicious. Thanks for the tips though...
Enjoyed this, will be trying the onion method next time! Like to use tinned whole plum tomatoes, slightly squished with a spoon. Always enjoy channelling my inner Ready Steady Cook contestant, sweeping up any fridge remnants into pasta
Less a specific dish and more a framework - I like recipes that let you just dump everything in the pan, put the heat on, and walk away. No sautéing aromatics or reducing liquids. Meera's "Maham's Dal" recipe in East is like that, and I'm also really fond of this smitten kitchen recipe for chicken chili: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/chicken-chili/.
I guess it's a work-from-home variation on the theme - rather than putting everything together in under 30 minutes at the end of the day, it's taking 15-20 minutes to prep when you can grab it at lunchtime/the afternoon, and then all you have to do at the end of the day is serve up.
There was a little vid about Mutti tomatoes on the Eater YT channel recently.
https://youtu.be/7kDEeXEXqNs?si=yRZLAHloAo41jSZf
Tomato pasta is a staple in our house too. I’ve known about the halved onion method for a while but never tried it, and this excellent read has inspired me to give it a go next time.
My other weeknight go-tos are noodly broths - usually made with miso or tom yum paste and whatever veg I have. Maybe a jammy egg. Also pasta with beans in some form makes its way to our dinner table week after week.
Violently disagree with Marcella’s onion and butter method but yes to eating pasta w a tomato sauce every night of the week!! As you know i’m a purist for the Neapolitan way and must of course remain faithful to my roots so it’s garlic and olive oil for me every time. I was a bit disappointed w the Mutti polpa but do like their whole tomatoes. Mind you I only use them when on special offer and use other brands otherwise. Never mind, it’s food of the gods whatever anyone says!
Love tomato pasta, as does everyone in our house. Sometimes I like to fry some finely sliced garlic in butter and olive oil and then add the tomatoes. But also love the butter and onion method too. Another easy pasta dish that all ages in our house enjoy is broccoli (cooked with the pasta), pesto (we normally have some in the freezer) and a tub of ricotta stirred in at the end (needs some pasta water for sure). Very little effort and a crowd pleaser.
This dhal with roast veg - so easy, so delicious
https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/masala-roast-carrots-with-lentils
An Italian girlfriend loved the onion not chopped thing, and did the same with the garlic, removing them both before serving.
This is one of my go-to dishes if I do not have time to cook, but I am partial to extra virgin olive oil and garlic for geographical reasons. I tried to cook tomatoes in butter once and - even though I loved the result - I couldn't recognize the comforting taste of home!
Totally agree that bits of onion, especially undercooked, can be awful in sauces. Recipes often say “sauté until soft, about 10 mins” but it really takes ages and some onions never surrender. I have tried the MH method but couldn’t detect a flavour so now I ignore onions. Always add a good pinch of dried crushed chilli though. I will try butter in place of evoo next time.
Making this tonight!!! :)