Pantry Pasta Meals

The solution for busy weeknights: Pantry Pasta Meals! Stock your kitchen with a few key ingredients so you have wholesome meals always within reach!

September 20, 2021

The Dinner Debacle

Picture this: your day is wrapping up, and suddenly you realize you have no plan for dinner. You also realize that you had nothing noteworthy for lunch that day, and are finding yourself particularly hungry for something delicious. This hunger, paired with the fact that you have no clue what to make or what even sounds good at this exact moment in time, makes you impatient and even more famished. It’s moments like these when frozen pizza or takeout sounds excceptionally good, am I right?!

However, let’s change the narrative a little bit. Let’s say you have a pantry, refrigerator, and freezer stocked with some of your favorite ingredients to make delicious meals. Would you be interested? Would you feel better about the aforementioned illustration of the weeknight we all experience on a regular basis? If so, you’re in luck! Read on to learn more about my approach to simple, scrumptious, and fast weeknight meals featuring everyone’s favorite pantry staple: pasta!

Pantry Pasta Meals: Where To Begin

Some of my favorite toss-together meals that I’ve ever made feature pasta. It’s a blank slate for whatever ingredients you decide to throw together, which makes mealtime a sort of fun experiment. Now I realize for some (perhaps most?) that “fun experiment” may not be the exact terminology you’d use to describe a busy weeknight when your only goal is to get something on the dinner table fast. That said, I’ve rounded up a list of ingredients that I like to have on hand at all times so when I don’t know what to make for supper, I’m covered. Your list may look different based on your dietary needs and preferences, but this is a great place to start!

Jarred Sauces
Olives
Canned or Jarred Artichokes
Jarred Garlic
Stocks and Broths
Roasted Red Peppers
Jarred Pesto
Canned Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Sundried Tomatoes
Breadcrumbs
Anchovy Paste
Canned Pumpkin
Capers
Evaporated Milk

Ingredients For The Refrigerator and Freezer

While the above pantry staples are key for making quick and simple pasta dishes, there are also a few refrigerated and frozen items I like to keep in my kitchen to make sure I can round out my pantry pasta meals:

Refrigerated Items

Fresh herbs
Cheese: specifically fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan
Vegetables: hearty greens, squash, onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini

Frozen Items

Shrimp
Bone-in Chicken
Ground Beef
Ground Italian Sausage
Ground Turkey
Frozen Vegetables

How To Make A Pantry Pasta Meal

When you have your pantry stocked and have backup from a few key items in your refrigerator and freezer, making healthy and fast pasta meals is a cinch. I like to include the following components in each pantry pasta meal for a well-rounded and mouthwatering supper:

Something briny. For me, this typically means olives, artichoke hearts, or capers. I love the salty kick they offer.
Roasted vegetables. I’ll use whatever I have on hand, but I’ll always try to squeeze in something green. Whether it’s sauteed kale or frozen spinach, I love the nutrients that come with the pop of color they offer!
Cheese. Depending on my mood, I’ll add a little or a lot of cheese to add flavor and texture. Creamy goat cheese is a go-to, along with the classic Parmigiano Reggiano!
Seasoning.Salt, pepper, and olive oil are arguably used in all my pantry pasta meals, but I love using dried herbs, red pepper flakes, and finishing salts depending on the flavors present.
Protein. Protein is key in my meals, and I typically reach for lean meats and seafood to offer heft to my meals. Ground turkey, beef, and chicken are common in my dishes, but there’s always room for sausage, too! Shrimp is a delicious option as well.

Pantry Pasta Meal Inspiration

The key, of course, is finding flavors that you liked and keeping those on hand at all times, but I’ve listed a few flavor combinations to consider if you’re lacking inspiration!

Kalamata olives + roasted red peppers+ goat cheese + ground beef + oregano
Shredded chicken + roasted tomatoes + sauteed spinach + jarred artichokes + lemon zest + red pepper flakes
Sauteed shrimp + garlic + frozen peas + canned tomatoes + basil

Pantry Pasta Meal Recipes

Try one of these unbeatably delicious, wholesome, and simple recipes using ingredients from your pantry!

Tried any of these recipes and loved them? Use the hashtag #sohappyyoulikedit and tag @sohappyyoulikedit on social media so I can see your creations!

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