12 Quick Dinners Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

Fast food, the good kind

Some of the best dinners are also the quickest. When you are short on time, a hot pan and a handful of good ingredients beat a takeaway every time. Here are twelve of our favourite recipes that come together in about 30 minutes or less.

Speedy pasta

• Spaghetti alla Carbonara is silky, savoury and made entirely from store-cupboard staples.
• Spicy Arrabiata Penne is a fiery, five-ingredient tomato sauce.
• Chilli prawn linguine brings garlicky prawns and a glossy sauce together in minutes.

Stir-fries and noodles

• Prawn stir-fry is fresh, fast and endlessly adaptable.
• Pad See Ew delivers smoky wide noodles with a savoury-sweet sauce.
• Thai beef stir-fry pairs tender beef with chilli and basil over rice.
• Yaki Udon tosses chewy noodles in a quick soy and mirin sauce.

Curries and bowls

• Thai prawn curry is a fragrant coconut curry in around 25 minutes.
• Thai fried rice with prawns and peas is a brilliant way to use up leftover rice.

Eggs and light bites

• Shakshuka bakes eggs in a spiced tomato sauce and works at any time of day.
• Salmon Avocado Salad is fresh, healthy and on the table fast.
• Tahini Lentils are wholesome, protein-rich and ready in about 20 minutes.

Three tips for faster weeknight cooking

1. Read the recipe first and prep everything before you turn on the heat. Fast dishes leave no time to chop mid-cook.
2. Keep a few heroes in the cupboard. Good pasta, noodles, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, soy and fish sauce turn into dinner in minutes.
3. Cook extra rice and freeze it so fried rice and quick bowls are always within reach.

Hungry for more? Browse all our recipes and filter by whatever you fancy.