Looking for new dinner inspo on a budget? You’re in luck. Good food doesn’t necessarily require a long shopping list full of unusual ingredients. Here are five delicious no-fuss recipes that are cheap, simple, and quick to whip up.
Cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe is a pasta recipe that simply means ‘cheese and pepper’ in Italian. It’s become hugely popular over the last decade or so and has been at the top of ‘trendiest dish’ lists in cities including Rome (where it originated) and New York.
All you need to make it is spaghetti (or another long noodle-like pasta), butter, ground black pepper, and cheese (either pecorino, parmesan, or both). Toss the pasta in the cheesy, peppery sauce and serve with a glass of Trebbiano if you want an extra treat. According to the experts at Pasta Evangelists, the fruity white wine ‘pairs very well with Italian aged cheeses, making it a great match for Pecorino pasta dishes such as Cacio e Pepe. The acidity will balance out the creaminess of a cheesy pasta very well’.
Egg-fried rice
Egg-fried rice may be a go-to when you order a Chinese takeout and it’s really easy to make at home too. This dish is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, so it’s a great option when your fridge is running low – and it might help you cut down your food waste too.
Fry some onion in oil, add cooked rice for three minutes, tip in beaten eggs, and then mix everything together once the egg has cooked a little. You can then jazz this up however you see fit. For example, add chicken, prawns or tofu for some protein, or up the vegetables by stirring in peppers, peas, mushrooms, carrots, and so on.
Roasted lemon chicken
This low-maintenance meal is great if you want something you can leave to cook while you get one with other activities. Mix butter with rosemary, lemon zest, and garlic and rub over the chicken, then stuff the lemon into the cavity and roast.
For a European twist, you could add white wine to the butter sauce and swap the rosemary for thyme, as they do in Greece and Italy. Serve with salad. Or the French technique is to add Dijon mustard to the sauce and accompany the dish with roast potatoes.
Caprese salad
A Caprese salad makes a perfect light, summer dinner, simply consisting of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, then seasoned with salt and olive oil. It is believed to have originated from the Italian island of Capri and has a colour scheme that pays homage to the Italian flag. There is room for some flexibility (for example, you could add pesto or balsamic vinegar, or swap the mozzarella for buffalo mozzarella), and if you want a heartier meal, serve it in bread or alongside pasta or rice.
Spanish omelette
Spanish omelette (also known as Spanish tortilla) is a traditional dish that can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Potatoes, eggs, and olive oil are the core ingredients. You can add onion if you like. This has been a contentious topic in Spain – those who include onion are called ‘concebollistas’ and those that don’t are called ‘sincebollistas.’
To make a Spanish omelette, slice, season, and sautée the potatoes, adding the onion if you’re using it. Drain and mix with whisked eggs, return to the pan, and cook on both sides. You can place a plate over the mixture and invert the pan once one side is cooked, then slip the mixture back in to cook the other side.