Midweek Meals: Five quick and easy recipes ready in 13 minutes or less

From five-minute supercharged ramen to 10-minute lentil dahl

You don't have to spent long in the kitchen to whip up these delicious dishes

Tuna pasta

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

An easy, healthy recipe ready in 10 minutes.

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 2 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 12 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 80g wholegrain pasta

• 112g tin of tuna in olive oil, drained

• 2 tbsp pesto (good-quality shop-bought works well)

• a small handful of chopped scallions

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

•  

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

2. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the tuna, pesto and scallions and heat through. (If you don’t like tuna, you can use chicken or turkey).

3. Scrape the pasta into a warmed serving bowl.

4. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve without delay.

Supercharged instant noodles

Ramen noodles are the most underrated and ultra-flexible convenience food.

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 5 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp sriracha

• 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)

• 1/2 inch ginger, grated (optional)

• 1/2 chilli, finely sliced (optional)

• 1 packet of instant noodles, flavour your choice

• 1 package fresh stir-fry mix

• To serve

• Nuts or seeds

• Leftover roast meat

Method

1. I like to prepare my ramen sauce at home to store in my lunch bag. In a small jar, I shake together the soy, sriracha, garlic, ginger and chilli with a tablespoon of water. Sometimes I squeeze in some lime or a drizzle of maple syrup, but these are unnecessary.

2. When ready to eat, lay your vegetables at the bottom of a bowl and top with the dried noodles. Pour over boiling water and cover with a plate. Leave for three minutes.

3. Using a fork, stir the ramen noodles and vegetables, and add your sauce, forking through to make sure that it is all well coated. Top with seeds, leftover roast meat or even some Bombay Mix. Enjoy.

10-minute naan bread pizza

Naan breads are perfect pizza bases when after-school activities demand a swift dinner

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 13 mins

Total Time

 13 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 plain naan breads

• 300g passata

• 400g Mozzarella

• Suggested toppings:

• Pepperoni

• Finely sliced red onion

• Roasted peppers

• Jalapeno peppers

• Sliced olives

• Parmesan

• Rocket

• Pesto

Method

1. Turn the oven on to 200°C with the baking tins inside, preheating while you assemble your pizza. 

2. Sprinkle the naan breads lightly with water before spreading with passata, salt and pepper. Dotting pesto on top of the passata is delicious if you like pesto. 

3. Follow with cheese, and the toppings of your choice. 

4. Bake for ten minutes, until the cheese has melted and the naans are pillowy and crisped at the edges. 

The Pasta Queen's Cacio e Pepe

This silky pasta dish comes together in a flash

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 3 mins

Cooking Time

 9 mins

Total Time

 12 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 300g finely ground Pecorino Romano

• 1tbsp coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

• Sea salt

• 450 grams homemade Tonnarelli or store-bought fresh spaghetti alla chitarra

Method

1. Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, in a medium bowl, combine the Pecorino Romano and 240 millilitres water and stir passionately, adding more water a little at a time as needed to make a luscious cream.

3. In a large frying pan, heat the ground pepper over low heat, swirling to lightly toast it and bring out its gorgeous aromas, about 30 seconds. Add a splash of water and swirl to infuse it with the pepper’s spicy and smoky aromatics. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, season lightly with salt. Drop in the tonnarelli and cook until the pasta is tender, two to two-and-a-half minutes.

5. Transfer the pasta directly to the pan with the pepper. Pour in the Pecorino Romano sauce and toss vigorously until the pasta is drenched in peppery sauce and the sauce is silky and smooth. Add the tears of the gods [the pasta water] a spoonful at a time if the sauce is clumpy and stir passionately until smooth.

6. Serve drizzled with any remaining sauce in the pan and garnish with a scrunch of pepper.
   
   The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Authentic Italian Cookbook by Nadia Caterina Munno, with Katie Parla, is published by HarperCollins, priced £22. Photography by Giovanna Di Lisciandro. Available now.

10 minute lentil dahl

Who needs convenience food when you can make this Indian classic in just ten minutes?

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated

• 1 thumb-sized piece of turmeric, grated or

• 2 tins cooked lentils

• 2 tins coconut milk

• Salt

• bunch fresh coriander, chopped

• To serve:

• Naan bread, rice or quinoa

Method

1. On a high heat, melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan.

2. Add the spices and the onions and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for a further two minutes until they are fragrant.

3. Add the drained lentils and coconut milk to the pan, stir and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Cook for five minutes, taste and season generously with salt.

5. Before serving, stir in some freshly chopped coriander and serve with naan bread, quinoa or rice.

6. You can use dried red lentils instead of tinned ones, but make sure to rinse well before adding to the pot, topping up the liquid with an extra tin of water.

7. Adjust the cooking time by adding ten minutes and whisk well before serving.
   
   Recipe note: To add more protein to this dahl, add a tin of mixed beans or chickpeas with your lentils.