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16th June 2016
12:01pm BST

Peas and Parma Ham
Add frozen peas to the pasta cooking water for the last three minutes of cooking. Drain well and mix créme frâiche and grated Parmesan cheese through the hot pasta. Finish off with torn pieces of Parma ham and black pepper.
Pesto, Pine nuts and Cherry Tomatoes
I often make this dish with cold pasta for a lunchbox main. Simply mix basil pesto through pasta and add toasted pine nuts, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and finely-chopped spring onion.
Smoked Salmon and Leeks
Sauté chopped and rinsed leeks in a little butter until soft. Add créme frâiche, strips of salmon, grated Parmesan cheese and plenty of black pepper. I like to add fronds of fresh dill to finish off the dish.
Chorizo and Red Peppers
I love chorizo for its ability to add such favour to so dishes that need a bit of 'oomph'. Dice up the chorizo and sauté gently to render out some of the fat. Add sliced red onion and red peppers and cook until tender. Mix through some halved cherry tomatoes until softened. Season well and stir through cooked pasta.
Ham and Frozen Mixed Veg
This is a real kids dinner, but I love it. Add frozen mixed veg to the pasta water for the last five minutes of cooking. I like the carrot, sweet corn and pea mixed frozen veg combo. Drain well and stir through créme frâiche, a little Dijon mustard and grated mature cheddar cheese. Add diced ham and heat through. Thick cut ham works best for this. I often cook a small 1.5kg ham, thickly slice it and freeze it for dishes such as these.
Mushrooms, Spinach and Cream Cheese
Simply sauté sliced mushrooms on a high heat until browned and tender. Add garlic and herb cream cheese and heat until bubbling. Wilt baby spinach leaves in the sauce. For another version, add crispy bacon and blue cheese.
Sausage and Passata
This is meaty and tomatoey like spaghetti Bolognese but with far less work. Chop up Italian style sausages into chunks. Fry with a diced red onion in a little olive oil until browned. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. You can also can mushrooms and red peppers.
Leftover Chicken and Broccoli
I'm a huge fan of leftover roast chicken, it has so many tasty uses. To cook the broccoli, simply add fresh or frozen broccoli florets to the pasta cooking water for the last four minutes. Drain and toss with the shredded chicken, crushed walnuts, grated Parmesan cheese and a splash of cream. It's the one time that slightly softer broccoli works well.
Well-known food journalist and talk show regular Rozanne Stevens is the creative chef behind Makeaheadmealz.com group and private cookery lessons. For extra recipes and tips follow @MakeAheadMealz on Twitter or Instagram: @MakeAheadMealz, @RozanneStevens.
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