Tobie Puttock’s top waste-busting meals
How to turn leftovers into some of the most delicious dinners
As part of Global Food Waste Action Week, let’s get cooking those golden waste-saving dinners that accommodate almost anything. Here are my favourites.
PASTA SALAD
Accidentally cooked enough pasta for a small army? Try this raw version of pasta pomodoro. Into a bowl, throw chopped tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, basil or oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, finely chopped kale and a little vinegar. If you have them add olives, capers, chilli and anchovies.
HEARTY PASTA BAKE
More leftover pasta? Here’s my go-to for everything from tired carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so many other odd leftover bits. Just make your bolognese sauce with minced meat, or swap in lentils and red kidney beans, slightly pulsed in a food processor and dried in an oven. Then add in finely chopped vegetables, plus water - you don’t want the sauce to be too thick. Fold cooked pasta through the sauce and pour the lot into a baking tin. Top with bechamel, breadcrumbs and parmesan or just a drizzle of olive oil, and bake. Cool then remove from the tin and portion.
SHEPHERDS PIE
Leftover bolognese? Reinvent it as shepherd’s pie. Just add mashed potatoes on top and bake in the oven. Or, start your bolognese from scratch with sauteed root vegetables, minced meat of any kind, or meat that’s already been cooked. Add a tin of tomatoes, and lovely fridge items such as half a tin of cannellini beans, peas, cooked greens or roast potatoes. Mix in a half cup of water, pour the lot into a baking tin, cover with mashed potato and bake until cooked through and golden-topped.
FRITTATA
At our place this starts with stems of broccoli and cauliflower and other leftover veggies. Toss in olive oil, salt and paprika and roast until just brown. Then simply toss them in a mixing bowl with 5-7 eggs, some milk, grated cheese, and roughly chopped herbs. Gently whisk, then fold through green leaves such as spinach, rocket and kale. Add the lot to an ovenproof pan on the stove, with a knob of butter. When the egg starts to set around the side of the pan, pop the whole pan into the oven until golden brown. Once cooked, allow the frittata to cool in the pan before removing. We eat this at home with salad, in baguettes or warmed with some prosciutto and Dijon mustard on the side
With these dinners up your sleeve you’ll save money and help reduce 7.6 billion kilos of food waste TOBIE PUTTOCK