A budget family dinner for four using the exact quantities in the MynRecipes dinner plans.
Makes: 4 portions · Estimated time: 40–45 minutes · Equipment: Hob. Adjust for household appetites.
Cooking times are estimates; check doneness and follow packet instructions.
Ingredients for four
Rice, pasta and lentils are weighed dry. Canned beans, chickpeas and tuna use drained weights. Fresh vegetables use prepared weights.
- 350 g Dry fusilli
- 150 g Dry red split lentils
- 150 g Onions, peeled
- 150 g Carrots, trimmed
- 400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes with juice
- 200 g Frozen mixed vegetables
- 15 ml Sunflower oil
- 1 cube Vegetable stock cubes
- 200 ml water for the sauce, plus packet-directed water for lentils and pasta
How to make it
- Rinse and cook the dry lentils in a separate pan according to the packet; drain. Cook pasta separately according to its packet.
- Dice the onion and carrot. Soften in the oil for 8–10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, the crumbled stock cube and 200 ml water. Simmer until the carrot is tender. Add frozen vegetables and cook for at least their packet cooking time.
- Stir in the cooked lentils and drained pasta. Heat through, loosen with a little water if necessary and divide into four.
Shopping and the dinner plan
These quantities match our budget-plan shopping lists. Whole-pack prices, sources, date and the fresh-vegetable yield allowance are shown in the linked plans. Optional extras, substitutions and serving changes need a new cost calculation.
- £30 Family Dinner Plan UK: 5 Dinners & Shopping List
- £40 Weekly Meal Plan UK: 7 Dinners & Shopping List
Allergens and storage
Check every product label, including stock and spice mixes. Depending on the recipe and products, allergens can include wheat/gluten, milk, celery, fish or eggs. This recipe has not been screened for allergies.
Follow the Food Standards Agency guidance: cool ordinary cooked leftovers and refrigerate within two hours; eat within 48 hours or freeze. Cool cooked rice quickly, ideally within one hour, refrigerate for no more than 24 hours before reheating, and reheat once until steaming hot.