Delicious Store-Cupboard Recipes For Fuss-Free Cooking

Cheesy pasta bake

Pasta bake is a classic midweek meal — with little effort and some store cupboard ingredients, you are rewarded with a creamy, cheesy hot plate of comfort food. It's also great to add in other odds and ends you may have leftover from earlier meals. Got half a leek or a shallot you want to get rid of? Sub it in. Some fresh tomatoes on the turn? Add some of that in, too. Half a head of broccoli? Go on then! The beauty of this pasta bake is that it provides a great base for other ingredients you may add, but is equally as good on its own when all you’re looking for is cheesy carbs in its purest form. 

Any-bean spring stew

This stew is nourishing and restoring, and it takes little forethought or prep to make. The base broth is made using basic staples — onion, garlic, stock — and as the name implies, any tinned beans you’ve got in your cupboard will perform the trick of making this dish both light and hearty. Feel free to swap the onion for shallots or leeks, and swap the asparagus for another vegetable like tender stem broccoli if that’s what you’ve got on hand. It’s versatile and always delicious.

Thai peanut ramen soup

Say goodbye to instant noodles because this recipe proves you can have fresh and punchy ramen whipped up with store-cupboard basics. Some peanut butter, coconut milk, tamari or soy sauce, ginger puree and lime juice (or lemon, if that’s what you’ve got) is all you need for a fragrant, punchy soup base. Top with vegetables you have in the fridge — pak choi, carrots, radish, beansprouts work beautifully. And don't forget to add your favourite noodles!

Vegan shortbread

Got a sweet tooth? Whip up vegan shortbread with this simple and no-frills recipe. With only five ingredients, this is great for spontaneous vegan bakers. On those rainy days where you want endless refills of tea and biscuits, you can fulfil your cravings with this trusty recipe.

One-pot spaghetti Puttanesca

If you’ve got a jar of olives in the cupboard for sporadically snacking on, this recipe is the one for you. It can be put together in 20 minutes and is made up of tinned tomatoes and spaghetti along with other ingredients you’re likely to have in your kitchen. Its salty, tart, and tastes look you’ve put a lot more effort in, which is always an achievement.