Cooking, Easy Recipes: 5 Pasta Dinners to Cook Tonight

In the video Easy Pasta Dinners To Cook Tonight, Jamie Oliver serves up five joyous, no-fuss pasta meals that put vegetables and smart shortcuts centre stage. These cooking, easy recipes are perfect for weeknight dinners, batch cooking or packing into the freezer for later. Below are clear ingredient lists, simple steps and handy hacks so anyone can recreate these dishes at home.

1. The Most Amazing Pasta Bake with Garlic Crumb

This roomy pasta bake is all about comforting flavours: sweet leeks, a silky tomato sauce, basil, parmesan and a crisp, garlicky breadcrumb topping. It’s made as a big batch, ideal for family meals or freezing.

Ingredients

• 500 g pasta (any shape)
• 3 tins of tomatoes (or fresh if preferred)
• 2 cloves garlic + pre-bought garlic bread for crumbs
• 2–3 leeks (white part)
• 50 g parmesan, plus extra to finish
• Frozen spinach portions (about 8 x 80 g pellets)
• Fresh basil, oregano, olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Make garlic crumb: blitz ripped garlic bread in a liquidizer until fine — this turns everyday garlic bread into a crunchy, flavourful topping.
2. Gently fry sliced garlic, oregano and the finely sliced leek stalks in olive oil; slow-cook for about 10 minutes to bring out the sweetness.
3. Add tomatoes (tinned or fresh), a splash of water, simmer 15 minutes then liquidize to a silky sauce.
4. Cook pasta 2–4 minutes shorter than packet time (under-cook for the bake), toss with the sauce, fold through parmesan and place frozen spinach pellets around the pan so they melt in the oven.
5. Top with a generous layer of the garlic crumb, bake at 180°C for ~20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest briefly and scatter with fresh basil before serving.

Why this works (Jamie’s hacks)

• Using frozen spinach portions is convenient and colours the dish beautifully.
• Under-cooking the pasta means it finishes perfectly in the oven without becoming mushy.
• Keeping extra garlic crumb in the freezer provides a quick flavour boost for future dishes.

2. Greek Cypriot–Inspired Orzo with Haloumi (Five Ingredients)

Jamie presents a joyful five-ingredient recipe that celebrates Mediterranean simplicity. This is one of those cooking, easy recipes that looks and tastes like a treat but takes very little effort.

Ingredients

• 200 g orzo (or a simple homemade 'fake orzo' made by breaking spaghetti)
• 600 g ripe tomatoes (or 2 tins)
• Half bunch parsley (stalks finely sliced)
• 40–60 g haloumi, grated
• Olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Grate ripe tomatoes on the fine side of a box grater to separate pulp from skins and seeds — an instant fresh sauce.
2. Sweat garlic and parsley stalks in olive oil, add the grated tomatoes, add water to match the tomato volume and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Cook orzo directly in the simmering sauce for 12–14 minutes (lid on), stirring regularly so the pasta absorbs the flavour.
4. Off the heat, fold through chopped parsley and the grated haloumi — it melts into the pasta, adding a salty, slightly squeaky tang.
5. Adjust with a splash of water if needed and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pro tips

• Can’t find orzo? Break spaghetti into short pieces and rub on the counter to create a similar shape.
• Grating fresh tomatoes gives a much brighter flavour than tins if they’re in season.

3. Mushroom Pasta with Thyme & Garlic Breadcrumbs

A rich, mushroom-forward pasta that somehow stays light, thanks to clever swaps and a crunchy topping. Another brilliant example of cooking, easy recipes for midweek dinners.

Ingredients

• 2 packs mixed mushrooms (or preferred variety)
• 4 cloves garlic + extra for breadcrumb
• 1 tin quality mushroom soup (or crème fraîche if you prefer)
• 100 g frozen spinach (optional)
• Breadcrumbs toasted with thyme, olive oil & garlic
• Pasta of choice (about 300 g) and parmesan to finish

Method

1. Toast garlic and thyme in olive oil, add breadcrumbs and low-heat toast until golden — set aside.
2. Sauté garlic, thyme leaves and mushrooms over medium heat until moisture reduces and mushrooms begin to brown.
3. Stir in a tin of mushroom soup diluted with a splash of water for that old-school silky sauce, then add frozen spinach to melt through.
4. Cook pasta, lift it with tongs into the sauce with some cooking water, toss with parmesan and serve with the thyme-garlic crumb on top.

4. 15‑Minute Tuna Pasta — Bright & Breezy

Speedy, fresh and endlessly flexible. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, sun-dried tomato oil and tuna combine into a summery pasta salad that’s perfect hot or cold.

Quick method

• Cook shell pasta until just underdone; while it cooks blitz cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil and sun-dried tomatoes with a splash of vinegar.
• Toss hot pasta with the raw sauce so residual heat brings the flavours alive.
• Stir through flaked tuna and scatter with feta, basil and more cherry tomatoes.

5. Slow‑Roasted Tomato & Orzo Salad (Elegant Simplicity)

This salad is a lovely make-ahead dish: tomatoes roast slowly with garlic, spring onions and a gentle spoon of harissa, then are pushed through a sieve to make a bright dressing for orzo and broad beans. A little mint or basil finishes it beautifully.

Why it’s great

• Slow roasting concentrates tomato sweetness and aroma — keeping the vine attached adds greenhouse fragrance.
• Pushing roasted tomatoes through a coarse sieve removes skins and gives a silky dressing.
• Mix in herbs (mint, basil, dill) and a tiny pinch of feta for a fresh contrast.

"That my friends is a brilliant principal recipe. Take that, run with it." — Jamie Oliver

Expert tips for all five recipes

• Under-cook pasta slightly if it’s going into the oven or to be tossed with sauce later — it will finish cooking in the dish.
• Save leftover garlic crumb in the freezer — it’s brilliant on fish, salads or future bakes.
• Use pasta cooking water to loosen and silkify sauces; it’s the easy secret to great texture.
• Frozen veg (spinach, broad beans) are perfect when fresh produce isn’t available — they save time without losing flavour.

Final thoughts

These cooking, easy recipes celebrate practical, flavour-first cooking: small hacks (blitzed garlic bread crumbs, grated fresh tomatoes, tinned soup for extra mushroom punch) make a big difference. Whether feeding a crowd, meal prepping or simply craving a comforting plate of pasta, Jamie’s five dishes show how quick, clever techniques and simple ingredients deliver big flavour.

Cooking, Easy Recipes: 5 Pasta Dinners to Cook Tonight. There are any Cooking, Easy Recipes: 5 Pasta Dinners to Cook Tonight in here.