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Pantry meals: dinners from your store cupboard

By PantryAI Team ·

  • recipes
  • pantry meals
  • pantry recipes
  • store cupboard
  • tinned food
  • easy dinners

You can make pantry meals tonight from tins, dried pasta, rice, lentils and a few spices. Start with a chickpea and tomato curry (25 minutes), tuna and tomato spaghetti (20 minutes) or garlic and chilli pasta with peas (15 minutes). All ten dinners below use store cupboard staples, and each one lists the checklist items it needs. Missing something? The swap table further down covers it.

Store cupboard checklist

Tick what you've got. Recipes with every ingredient ticked get a green edge and a "Ready to cook" badge. Your ticks stay in this browser only, they don't sync with the PantryAI app, and salt, pepper and a kettle are assumed.

Tins
Dried goods
Jars, bottles and cubes
Spices and herbs
Freezer and long-life veg

Pantry recipes

Every recipe serves two and was written for a standard hob and one or two pans. Times are prep plus cook.

1. Chickpea and tomato curry

Checklist items used: chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, curry powder, onions, garlic, oil, rice. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.

Ingredients: 150g rice, 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 2 tsp curry powder, 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 400g tin chickpeas (drained), 100ml water, salt.

  1. Cook the rice to the packet instructions.
  2. Fry the onion in the oil over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the garlic and curry powder and stir for 1 minute.
  4. Tip in the tomatoes, chickpeas and water. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick, then season with salt and serve over the rice.

2. Tuna and tomato spaghetti

Checklist items used: pasta, tuna, chopped tomatoes, garlic, chilli flakes, oregano, oil. Prep 5 minutes, cook 15 minutes.

Ingredients: 200g spaghetti, 1 tbsp oil, 2 garlic cloves (sliced), 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, 145g tin tuna (drained), salt.

  1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water to the packet time.
  2. Warm the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the tomatoes and oregano and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tuna to warm through. Drain the pasta, keeping a mugful of water, and toss everything together, loosening with the pasta water if it's dry.

3. Red lentil dal

Checklist items used: red split lentils, onions, garlic, cumin, curry powder, tomato puree, oil, rice. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.

Ingredients: 150g rice, 150g red split lentils, 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 500ml water, salt.

  1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clearer. Start the rice.
  2. Fry the onion in the oil for 6 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin and curry powder for 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the puree, lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils collapse into a thick soup.
  4. Season with salt and serve with the rice. Add a splash of water if it catches.

4. Smoky bean chilli

Checklist items used: kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, smoked paprika, cumin, tomato puree, oil, rice. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.

Ingredients: 150g rice, 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 400g tin kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 150ml water, salt.

  1. Start the rice to the packet instructions.
  2. Fry the onion in the oil for 8 minutes, then stir in the paprika, cumin and puree for 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomatoes, beans and water. Simmer for 15 minutes, mashing a few beans against the pan to thicken it.
  4. Season with salt and serve with the rice.

5. Peanut butter noodles

Checklist items used: dried noodles, peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli flakes, frozen peas. Prep 5 minutes, cook 10 minutes.

Ingredients: 150g dried noodles, 100g frozen peas, 3 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes.

  1. Cook the noodles to the packet instructions, adding the peas for the last 2 minutes.
  2. Scoop out 3 tbsp of the cooking water, then drain.
  3. Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli flakes and the cooking water in the empty pan until smooth.
  4. Return the noodles and peas and toss until coated.

6. Pasta and chickpea soup

Checklist items used: chickpeas, small pasta, tomato puree, stock cubes, onions, garlic, oregano, oil. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp dried oregano, 400g tin chickpeas (drained), 1 stock cube, 800ml boiling water, 100g small pasta such as macaroni, salt.

  1. Fry the onion in the oil for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, puree and oregano for 1 minute.
  2. Add the chickpeas, then crumble in the stock cube and pour over the boiling water.
  3. Simmer for 5 minutes, add the pasta and cook for the time on the packet, stirring so it doesn't stick.
  4. Mash a few chickpeas to thicken the soup, season and serve.

7. Spicy tomato rice with peas

Checklist items used: rice, onions, garlic, tomato puree, smoked paprika, stock cubes, frozen peas, oil. Prep 5 minutes, cook 25 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 150g rice, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 stock cube, 300ml boiling water, 100g frozen peas.

  1. Fry the onion in the oil for 6 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in the rice, puree and paprika and cook for 1 minute so the rice is coated.
  3. Crumble in the stock cube, pour over the boiling water, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes.
  4. Scatter the peas on top, replace the lid and leave off the heat for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

8. Coconut rice and beans

Checklist items used: rice, coconut milk, kidney beans, onions, garlic, chilli flakes, oil. Prep 5 minutes, cook 30 minutes.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion (diced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 150g rice, 400ml tin coconut milk, 150ml water, 400g tin kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 1/2 tsp salt.

  1. Fry the onion in the oil for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in the rice, coconut milk, water and salt and bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the beans, cover again and leave on a low heat for 5 minutes more until the rice is tender. Add a splash of water if it dries out.

9. Garlic and chilli pasta with peas

Checklist items used: spaghetti, garlic, chilli flakes, frozen peas, oil. Prep 3 minutes, cook 12 minutes.

Ingredients: 200g spaghetti, 100g frozen peas, 4 tbsp oil, 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced), 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, salt.

  1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water to the packet time, adding the peas for the last 2 minutes.
  2. While it cooks, warm the oil in a large pan over a low heat and cook the garlic and chilli flakes for 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is pale gold. Don't let it brown.
  3. Drain the pasta and peas, keeping a mugful of water.
  4. Toss everything in the garlic oil, adding a splash of the pasta water until glossy.

10. Tuna and white bean salad

Checklist items used: cannellini beans, tuna, oil, vinegar, mustard, onions. Prep 10 minutes, no cooking.

Ingredients: 400g tin cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), 145g tin tuna (drained), 1/4 onion (very thinly sliced), 3 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, salt and pepper.

  1. Soak the onion slices in cold water for 5 minutes to soften their bite, then drain.
  2. Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  3. Add the beans, tuna and onion and fold gently so the tuna stays in chunks.
  4. Leave for 5 minutes so the beans take up the dressing, then serve.

Missing one thing?

You can usually swap rather than shop. These substitutions use ordinary store cupboard ratios, so taste and adjust at the end.

If you're out of Use instead Adjust
Tinned tomatoes (400g) Passata (400g) Simmer 5 minutes longer to thicken
Tinned tomatoes (400g) Tomato puree 3 tbsp puree stirred into 300ml water
Stock cube Soy sauce and water 1 tbsp soy sauce per 500ml water, and skip the salt
Chickpeas Any tinned bean Same weight, drained
Spaghetti Any dried pasta Follow the packet time for that shape
Curry powder Cumin, paprika and chilli flakes 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, a pinch of chilli per 2 tsp
Fresh garlic Garlic granules 1/4 tsp per clove, added with the spices
Onion Leave it out Add 1/2 tsp more of the main spice
Red lentils Not a straight swap Green or brown lentils need 30 to 40 minutes, so check the packet

Keep your store cupboard in PantryAI

Add your tins, packets and jars to the pantry app as staples, and every recipe search includes them. The AI recipe generator then suggests three dinners built around what you've got, so you're not matching a list by hand. Prices vary by store and country, and the free plan has monthly limits.

Pantry meals FAQ

What should a basic store cupboard have?

Start with the checklist above: a few tins (tomatoes, chickpeas, beans, tuna), dried pasta, rice and red lentils, oil, stock cubes and tomato puree, a handful of spices, and frozen peas. That set covers all ten recipes here, plus onions and garlic. Add to it one tin or packet per shop rather than all at once.

How long do tins keep?

Check the date printed on the pack, which is the manufacturer's guide for that product. For specific foods, the USDA FoodKeeper lists storage times, and Love Food Hate Waste has UK storage advice. We haven't quoted shelf lives here because they vary by product and by whether the tin is open.

Can I make these without fresh food?

Yes. Nothing in the list needs fresh produce except onion and garlic, and the swap table shows how to leave both out. Frozen peas cover the vegetable side. For more ideas with short ingredient lists, see our guide to 5-ingredient meals.

How do I store leftover rice?

Cooked rice needs more care than most leftovers. The Food Standards Agency says to chill it as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour, and keep it in the fridge for no more than 24 hours. Freeze it within 1 hour of cooking if you won't eat it by then. Reheat it once only, until it is steaming hot all the way through. Don't leave rice in the pan or rice cooker to cool. See the FSA's home food fact checker for the full advice. This applies to the curry, dal, chilli and rice dishes above.

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