From dips to seaweed snacks: Unlikely pantry staples you can turn into a yummy pasta
Believe it or not, the $5 dip that’s been sitting untouched in your fridge can help you whip up an affordable and delicious pasta for a family of four.
Instagram chef Alicia (@Alicias._Kitchen) recently revealed the secret ingredient to her creamy chicken pasta is Red Rock Deli’s Roasted Tomato, Feta, Basil & Cashew Dip – with one 135g tub setting her back just $5.
Dip isn't just for nibblies - it can also be the secret to a tasty dinner. Instagram/@alicias._kitchen
However, she said you can make the recipe with any flavour of savoury chunky dip you want.
“If you’re stuck on what to cook tonight, save this one,” the caption of the post read.
“The creamy sauce comes together in minutes thanks to a tub of dip doing most of the heavy lifting. Honestly, using a dip might be my new favourite pasta shortcut.”
Alicia’s recipe also includes two chicken breasts, 250g of pasta, half a cup of cream, some grated parmesan and a handful of baby spinach or rocket.
Commenters said they had tried the recipe and loved it.
“I made this immediately after seeing this and it was incredible. Definitely adding it to the rotation,” one person wrote.
“I just made this it was amazing!,” another wrote.
A third person said they use the same trick, writing: “I’ve often used the Red Rock Deli chunky dips as pesto.”
Turn your chunky dip into a pasta sauce in a few easy steps. Instagram/@alicias._kitchen
The absolute genius of using a dip as pasta sauce got us thinking– are there other pantry staples you can transform into a pasta sauce?
As it turns out, there are plenty.
Canned tuna
One of the most popular recipes online is a canned tuna pasta, using the oil from the can to create a savoury sauce.
AFL star Christian Petracca tried the popular “Mediterranean” style tuna pasta recipe in a video on his cooking Instagram account (@On.trac5).
You can use the oil from a can of tuna to create a yummy tuna pasta. iStock
Emulsify the sauce with some pasta water and add in the rest of the canned tuna. Instagram/@on.trac5
Petracca starts by opening a can of Italian-style tuna in oil, pouring the oil straight in to a hot pan.
Then he adds diced onions, garlic and anchovies into the sizzling oil, followed by cherry tomato, pitted black olives, capers and some red chillies for spice.
He then emulsifies the sauce with some pasta water before adding in the rest of his canned tuna.
The recipe is great for families on a budget – while protein like chicken can be pricey, a can of tuna costs less than $5 (for the specific type he uses).
His recipe serves three people using three cans of tuna.
Canned oysters
If canned tuna isn’t your style, the recipe can be replicated with canned smoked oysters instead.
On TikTok, The Can Do Kitchen shared the “budget-friendly” but delicious meal you can make with the ingredient.
Don't like tuna? Try canned smoked oysters instead. TikTok/@Candokitchen
The simple recipe uses the oil from the tinned oyster can, along with the oysters, to make a quick sauce. She seasons it with some salt, peter and chilli flakes and chucks in some freshly cooked pasta with a little bit of pasta water.
She tops it off with some basil flakes and it’s ready to serve. One can of oysters makes on serving. You can get a can of smoked oysters for less than $4.
Nacho and taco sauce
Canned fish not really your thing? You can turn your taco kit into a delicious pasta dish.
Mum Jess (@life.of.jesss) explained in a TikTok video how she turns a jar of nacho salsa and taco seasoning into a delicious meal for her daughter.
A jar of nacho sauce can be turned into a delicious pasta sauce. TikTok/@life.of.jesss
She starts by browning beef mince and adds in the taco spice mix, nacho salsa and some cream cheese.
This forms the base of her sauce. Then, she chucks in the cooked pasta and tops it with some spinach and shredded cheese.
You can buy individual taco spice mix packets from your local grocery store for $3, while the nacho salsa will set you back $6.
Butter chicken
If you’re craving pasta with a yummy twist, grab that jar of butter chicken sauce, or a packet of butter chicken base, out of your pantry.
Cook with Kels on TikTok shared her slow-cooked butter chicken pasta recipe using just a handful of ingredients.
Three words: butter chicken pasta. TikTok/@aussiefitness
She called the recipe her “go-to slow cooked dinner.”
Kels starts by placing two raw chicken breasts in a slow cooker before adding in tomato paste, thickened cream, butter, one packet of MAGGI butter chicken recipe base (spice packet), a diced brown onion and some butter. She stirs it together and sets it aside to cook for six hours.
When her sauce is done cooking, she boils pasta and serves.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, or you prefer to use jarred sauce, follow the instructions on the jar to make your butter-chicken sauce, add in your pasta and serve.
Seaweed snacks
For a savory twist to your dinner, grab your kids’ seaweed snacks!
Aussie food icon Marion Grasby revealed you can use the sheets to create a sauce for a prawn pasta in a video posted to her social media accounts.
“Seaweed snacks = the ultimate pasta sauce hack,” the cookbook author and MasterChef alum wrote.
If you can believe it, seaweed snacks can be turned into a pasta sauce. Getty
“You have to try this Nori Sesame Prawn Pasta! It’s glossy, spicy, and packed with umami.”
Grasb’s method uses three 5g packets of packets roasted seaweed (nori snacks), roasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, chopped garlic, sugar and one egg yolk.
She chucks the ingredients for the “sauce” into a food processor and blends until it turns into a fine paste.
Then, she pan-sears her prawns while the pasta is boiling.
When the pasta is ready, drain the pot and immediately mix the wet pasta in with the nori paste.
The sauce is made by blending the seaweed snacks down into a paste. TikTok/@mariongrasby_
She tops the dish off with her prawns and serves it with some grated Parmesan and chopped chives.
You can buy seaweed snacks for $1 to $5 (depending on the brand).
