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10 easy student dinners

With these quick, easy and budget-friendly recipes, cooking dinner while at university has never been so simple or delicious. Forget beans on toast and rustle up a spicy curry, simple tacos or a store-cupboard pie in no time at all.

Sardine arrabbiata
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Sardine arrabbiata

Quick, easy and healthy, this simple sardine pasta dish makes for an ideal, fuss-free midweek meal. Opting for tinned sardines means you're going for a sustainable option, while the majority of the other ingredients can be found in your storecupboard. Saucy, rich and vibrant, this arrabbiata is a real winner.

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chillies and cook for 15 secs until sizzling, then stir in the garlic and fry for 1 min until lightly golden. Tip in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 mins or until thickened.

  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to pack instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking water for later.

  3. Stir the vinegar into the sauce and season to taste. Tip in the sardines and the olives.

  4. Reduce the heat to low and tip in the pasta with a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen. Toss together to coat, adding a little more water if needed. Scatter over the basil to serve.

See more Tinned fish recipes

View full recipe details
  • Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp crushed chillies
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 300g penne
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 x 120g tins sardines in tomato sauce, bones removed
  • 80g pitted black olives, halved
  • 10g fresh basil leaves, to serve