43 Easy Pantry Recipes for Soups, Beans, Burgers, and Yes, Pastas
Having a few great pantry recipes in your back pocket is always a good idea, whether you're looking to clear the shelves before things expire or you're having one of those days where you just can't get to the store. Below, you'll find our favorite recipes for using up canned beans, dried pasta, canned tomatoes, and tinned fish, as well as jars of roasted red peppers, olives, and artichoke hearts. (If you want to take all of the plotting out of the equation, check out our 14-day meal plan of pantry dinners.)
The key to cooking from the pantry is to let yourself get a little loose—give yourself permission not to follow every recipe to the letter. Don't have Parmesan? Sub toasted breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Don't have fresh spinach? Reach for frozen. Don't have a lemon to squeeze? Try a little vinegar. Don't have fresh herbs? Use pesto or green sauce from the freezer, or just go a different direction, seasoning the dish with your favorite hot sauce. As long as you can make the core of the dish, you'll figure out a tasty way to finish it.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/43Chickpea and Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Tagine
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/43Pantry Pasta with Garlic, Anchovies, and Parmesan
Anchovies add all the savory flavor you crave to a simple pantry pasta, along with garlic and good olive oil. If you don't have the lemon zest and parsley on hand, life will go on.
Photo by Aubrie Pick3/43Super-Simple Overnight Porridge
This velvety Vietnamese rice porridge gets a deep flavor—and a jump-start in cooking—from soaking overnight in chicken or vegetable broth before simmering. Then you can top with whatever you have on hand: hot sauce, crispy shallots, chopped kimchi, frozen shrimp, or even an egg that cooks right in each bowl.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton6/43Shrimp with Herby White Beans and Tomatoes
This one-pot meal is herby, sweet, and garlicky all at once, and it only takes 20 minutes to put together. We use shrimp from the freezer, and we're especially happy if we've frozen any green sauce or pesto to top it off.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson13/43Pantry Pasta Puttanesca
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson14/43Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson15/43"Antipasto" Pasta with Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Inspired by elements often seen on Italian antipasto platters, the pasta is tossed with dry-cured sausage, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes along with a simple tomato paste and olive oil sauce, and topped with toasted pine nuts and crisp peperoncini. No nuts? Don't stress. There's enough going on in this dish to skip them, too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson16/43Salmon Burgers with Red Pepper Mayo
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich21/43Curried Chickpea and Lentil Dal
Andrew Purcell, food styling by Carrie Purcell, prop styling by Sarah Cave22/43Cannellini Beans with Sweet Paprika and Garlic
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell24/43Creamy Squash Risotto With Toasted Pepitas
This vegan risotto gets its flavor from long-lasting squash and miso, plus a bit of smoked paprika. You may want to double the squash purée, since you can use it in other meals throughout the week, like stirring it into soups, serving it as an alternative to mashed potatoes, or turning it into a pasta sauce.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks25/43Miso-Tahini Squash Soup With Brown Rice
Rich with nutty tahini, savory miso, and plenty ginger and garlic, this comforting vegetarian soup is just what the doctor ordered for a chilly weeknight. We like to keep ginger root in our freezer for dinners like these, but you can also substitute ground. Start with ¼ teaspoon and increase to taste.
Photo by Chelsie Craig26/43Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup with Taco Fixins
When 5:15 p.m. hits and there’s still no dinner plan, Deb Perelman makes this Instant Pot soup. While the beans cook you can prepare the toppings, manage life’s last-minute chaos, and take a load off. And don't worry if you don't have all the toppings on hand; it's also good with a few crumbled tortilla chips.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Tim Ferro, Food styling by Taneka Morris27/43Marinated Mixed Beans
Coating the herbs in oil and soaking the shallot in vinegar prevents oxidation, so you can keep these beans for days in the fridge. Yes, fresh herbs are a nice addition, but even if you go full pantry, these beans will be delicious. Serve over toast, with eggs, or mixed into pasta, or add some broth to turn them into soup.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell33/43How to Turn Jarred Artichoke Hearts Into a Crispy Appetizer
Chelsie Craig39/43Brothy Pasta With Chickpeas
Use this pantry recipe as a template: Cook onions and garlic if you have them, then red pepper flakes (and rosemary if you've got it), add canned chickpeas and tomatoes, short pasta and some water. You don't need fancy stuff to finish it off, but feel free to top it with some cheese if you've got it.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson40/43One-Pot Pasta Primavera With Shrimp
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich42/43Coconut Rice Noodles with Ginger and Turmeric
43/43Mujadara
