Avoid the grocery store line tonight and make one of these pantry-friendly recipes instead - Washington Post

Avoid the grocery store line tonight and make one of these pantry-friendly recipes instead - Washington Post

(Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post)

No matter how hard you try, sometimes the refrigerator just isn’t filled with the fresh produce that makes it easy to toss together an off-the-cuff dinner. For those times, rely on your pantry staples — think bread, beans and pasta — to make a satisfying meal. (And then maybe pick a time to go to the grocery store. You can’t live on carbs alone.)

From our archives, here are six pantry-friendly recipes (that happen to be meatless!) to consider:

Bread Crumb Spaghetti, above. The heart and soul of this recipe is literally crumbs — fresh bread crumbs that you’ll make from whatever bread you have around. (Is it stale? Even better!) Toast those crumbs in a generous amount of garlicky oil, toss them with pasta and plenty of lemon zest, and dinner is served.

(Scott Suchman for The Washington Post)

Rigatoni With Garbanzo Bean Sauce. The beans make a quick, easy, protein-packed sauce that’s enlivened with garlic and rosemary (or any herb, fresh or dry, that you like).

[Why you should keep a can of tuna in your cupboard]

Spiced Chickpeas on Nan With Cucumber Yogurt. With plenty of coriander, cumin and paprika for flavor, these warm chickpeas could also serve as a taco or burrito filling.

(Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)

Kale and White Bean Frittata. This is a good recipe to use as a template, especially if you’re the type to stockpile cooked grains in your refrigerator. Instead of kale, try chard or beet greens (or leave them out if you don’t have greens); swap any other type of legume for the white beans; use cooked wheat berries or buckwheat groats in place of the quinoa; you get the idea!

(Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post)

Molletes. You could make this with as few as two-ish ingredients — bread and beans, mashed with some water and salt — but if you top them with cheese, these open-faced, toasty sandwiches are truly perfection.

(Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)

Lentil and Rice Stew (Mjadera). Cumin and allspice add earthy, deep flavor. Turn leftovers into pasta sauce by adding a can of tomatoes, or add them to a frittata with herbs and sun-dried tomatoes.

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