Quick dinner: 10 simple recipes to prepare if you have an empty refrigerator

Your refrigerator is empty, supermarkets are closed and you don't know what to bring to the table for dinner? Are you looking for a recipe that is a little more elaborate than simple pasta but you don't know where to start? Do not worry, you are in the right place; in the kitchen the most important ingredient is imagination but also taking a look at the recipes we have designed for you can be a really good idea.

1. Bread balls

Stale bread, milk and eggs; you don't need anything else to prepare delicious bread balls. Excellent even if your guests are vegetarians and simple to prepare, the bread balls are the classic poor and simple recipe; if your refrigerator is crying, this can be an excellent idea for a tasty dinner.

2. Eggplant mini pizzas

A baked dish that looks like a strange parmigiana, just like that of the great chefs but much easier to make; eggplant mini pizzas are simple and made with very few ingredients that, even with an empty refrigerator, are hardly missing in our kitchens. You choose whether or not to fry the eggplants before baking them, in any case you will bring a respectable dinner to the table.

3. Bucatini with tuna and olives

Don't be fooled by appearances, you don't necessarily have to be a student to appreciate canned tuna and these bucatini will prove it to you. A very simple first course but not for this poor in taste that you can also try in different variations: lemon scented, with fresh tomato or with a delicious onion cream.

4. Potato pie

Let's be honest, potatoes should never be missing in our pantries even in those of the most distracted ones. An idea for dinner? The potato pie; very simple, based on only 4 ingredients and ready in just over half an hour. Stringy inside and crunchy outside, the potato pie is the recipe for you if the refrigerator cries and hunger calls. Small detail not to be underestimated, it can also be prepared in a pan or enriched with ham and cheese.

5. Spelled salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese

A fresh dish, perfect for a light dinner but not poor in taste, the spelled salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese is ideal for those who have little time and the pantry is not really full. Salads are also a great idea for experimenting with new combinations or putting together seemingly very different ingredients. For example, we appreciated the touch of sweetness given by the pineapple, which balances the strong flavor of the rocket, just try it!

6. Pumpkin loaf

A very easy dish that can really make your dinner special, the pumpkin loaf is a delicious and genuine second course. Potatoes, pumpkin and ham; simple ingredients that are hardly missing in our pantries, especially in the colder months if we talk about pumpkin. If you are a vegetarian, you can also replace the ham with a soft cheese to make your meatloaf stringier and greedier.

7. Flatbread omelette

Not only good but also delicious and fun to prepare; the flatbread omelette is the right recipe if you want to experiment with the few ingredients you have available and don't want to give up on taste. The flatbread omelette is a savory pie to be filled as you like – or according to what you have in the refrigerator – and to prepare in a few minutes. And if you feel in the mood to experiment, you can prepare a perfect flatbread at home with only water, flour and extra virgin olive oil.

8. Chicken strips with lemon

A simple second course based on chicken could not be missing from our list of simple dinners; the chicken strips with lemon are in fact good and very easy to prepare, and above all based on very few ingredients. Chicken breast, lemon juice, a pinch of flour and a generous bed of fresh rocket are enough to bring a delicious dish to the table and make a good impression in spite of the half-empty pantry.

9. Pie with rice and zucchini

An alternative to the classic timbale, the pie with rice and zucchini is a light first course, a casket of grilled vegetables with a stringy heart of scamorza cheese. An excellent recipe if your refrigerator is empty both hot and cold; a delicious dish that you can also enrich with ham or bacon. Who doesn't have rice and a couple of eggs at home? Cut the zucchini and start grilling, you will not regret it.

10. Lentil burger

You want a burger but you don't have mince; don't worry, lentil burgers are the recipe for you. A vegan dish, without eggs, based only on lentils and carrots; for this recipe you just need to find a jar of precooked lentils in your pantry, nothing more. And if you plan to bring a balanced dinner to the table, you can also prepare a simple salad and that's it.