When in a dinner pinch, it's pasta to the rescue

It's Thursday night and you haven't had a chance to swing by the grocery store since the weekend to replenish your stock of fresh fruits and vegetables. When you open the door to the fridge it's looking pretty bare, except for a few odds and ends in the crisper.

Still, your rumbling stomach says dinner needs to happen — and quick. Luckily, you likely have all the makings for a delicious pasta dish already on hand.

Pasta is the ultimate clutch dinner around my house. I always have a few packages in the pantry. OK, more than a few. I'm notoriously weak-willed when it comes to dried pasta. I can't resist buying it if my favorite brand is on sale. Or if I see an unusual variety. Or if I find the elusive bucatini on the shelf. Or if I'm just hungry.

I admit I have a problem, but I will also argue that my problem is, more often than not, a solution to the "what's for dinner?" dilemma.

Pasta is easy to turn into a meal with the assistance of a few other pantry, freezer or long-lasting refrigerated ingredients. Making sure to have a variety of essential ingredients in stock is the key to avoiding unplanned dinners out or trips to the closest drive-through.

From staples to supper

Many of these essentials, in addition to pasta, are already likely to be on your shopping list. Canned tomatoes, canned beans, tuna, stock or broth, eggs, butter, yogurt, frozen vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger and nuts can all be helpful in pulling together a quick and nutritious meal.

Cured meats, like bacon, pancetta, prosciutto and salami, cured olives and hard cheeses like Parmesan keep well in the refrigerator and add a satisfying flavor to pasta sauce. And if you happen to have a few fresh vegetables or herbs around, you can add them where they make sense, but the meal isn't reliant on them.

Tomato, Pancetta and Kalamata Pasta makes good use of many of these ingredients. Bring them all together in a quick sauce that's so much more than a simple marinara.

Pancetta is cooked in a little butter until it's lightly browned, but still pleasantly soft. Garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes take the flavor to the next level, before canned crushed tomatoes and kalamata olives, maybe a handful of basil, if you have it, are added. Everything simmers together while the pasta cooks.

And, while we're on the subject of cooking pasta, it's good to get into the habit of reserving some of the pasta water before draining. It can come in handy if your pasta sauce is too thick. Adding just a little of the water not only loosens the sauce, but also gives it a little body, thanks to the starches that come off the pasta.

Pantry powerhouses

Less obvious staples that you should explore if you haven't already are ingredients like miso paste, Thai curry pastes and fish sauce. They all have unique flavors that can either enhance or define a dish.

There are a few miso options on the shelves, but I like to make sure I have white miso in the fridge, as it has a mild flavor that bumps up the umami-ness in anything you add it to.

In Creamy Cashew Miso Linguine with Edamame and Peas, it brings a pleasant depth of savoriness that plays well with the nutty, slightly sweet cashew cream.

Cashew cream is a staple in many vegan and vegetarian circles, but it's so luscious and easy to make that I'm happy to have it in my repertoire, and you will be, too.

Raw cashews, which I keep on hand in the freezer, are soaked in water and blitzed in a blender with, for this recipe, lemon juice, white miso and garlic, until it's silky-smooth and ready to be tossed with hot pasta, and maybe a splash of pasta water.

Fresh lemon juice brings the cashew cream to life, which I find it does in many dishes, so I always try to keep a few lemons and limes in a bowl in my refrigerator. They keep fresh for at least a couple of weeks.

Frozen edamame and peas cook briefly at the end of the pasta cooking process. While not technically fresh, both of these legumes freeze beautifully, without losing flavor or texture. Sugar snap peas, also a legume, are best used fresh and are lovely in this pasta, if you happen to have them in the fridge.

Thai curry paste, canned coconut milk and fish sauce are a good trio to have at your fingertips. They can turn otherwise dull dinner prospects into company-worthy fare, as they do in Chickpea and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Penne.

Briefly sautéed ginger and garlic will fill your senses, and your kitchen, with a hunger pang- inducing aroma. Add Thai red curry paste, found in most grocery stores these days, and the scent explodes into the air with its distinctive mixture of chiles and aromatics like lemongrass and galangal (a relative to ginger).

Like miso, there are options when it comes to Thai curry paste, but red curry paste seems to be the easiest to find, outside of an Asian grocery store or online. The amount of heat in the paste largely depends on the brand, with some being quite mild and others packing much more of a punch. For this reason, I usually try a small taste before I start dolloping it into my sauce.

The intensely flavorful red curry mixture is simmered in creamy coconut milk, along with chunks of sweet potato and chickpeas. A dash of Southeast Asian fish sauce (look for it next to the curry paste in the global section of most grocery stores), a squeeze of lime juice and a spoonful of brown sugar pulls the curry together in a perfect balance of creamy, spicy, sweet, sour and salty. While this curry is almost always served with rice, I've found that it's also surprisingly good paired with pasta.

So, feel free to drive past the grocery store — and the drive-through. Just walk into your kitchen, pull out a box of pasta and a few other ingredients from your well-stocked pantry, and a hot, delicious meal is just minutes away.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: This cashew cream-based "Alfredo" pasta, loaded with green vegetables, also uses miso paste, which can be found in most grocery stores, to deliver a satisfying umami flavor. If you have some, add sugar snap peas to the frozen edamame and peas. While this dish is vegan-friendly, always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is vegan. This recipe needs to be prepared in advance. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 c. raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 12 hours and drained

• 1 c. water

• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp. white miso paste

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 12 oz. linguine

• 1 c. frozen peas, thawed

• 1 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed

• Nutritional yeast or Parmesan, optional garnish

If you have them:

• 4 oz. sugar snap peas, cut in half crosswise, on the diagonal

Directions

To prepare the sauce: Place the drained cashews in the bowl of a blender or food processor and add the water, lemon juice, oil, miso, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend on low to combine, increasing the speed to high. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, until silky-smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.

To prepare the pasta: Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions, adding both the peas and edamame (and snap peas, if you have them) to the pasta pot in the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Drain the pasta and vegetables and return to the pot over medium-low heat. Add the cashew miso sauce and stir to combine for 1 to 2 minutes until hot. If pasta sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit.

Serve garnished with nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese if you aren't trying to keep the dish plant-based), as desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: A close cousin to puttanesca pasta, this garlicky, spicy spin on the iconic Italian pasta dish includes its briny olives, but adds pancetta (Italian cured pork belly) instead of the more traditional anchovies. If you have it, add in a handful of chopped fresh basil. If desired, bacon can be substituted for the pancetta. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 4 oz. pancetta, finely chopped (see Note)

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 c. tomato paste

• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

• 3/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

• 1 lb. spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or bucatini

• Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

If you have it:

• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the paste turns a rusty color. Add the tomatoes and olives and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, according to package directions, to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain. Add pasta to skillet with sauce, along with basil, if using. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. If pasta sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit.

Divide among serving plates and garnish with Parmesan.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Thai curry paste is a pantry powerhouse and in this pasta it not only dials up the flavor, but also adds a touch of heat. Some brands of curry paste are hotter than others, so you may want to taste a little before you decide how much to add. (Thai red curry paste and fish sauce can typically be found in the global section of most grocery stores.) If you have it, add freshness, in the form of baby spinach, to the sauce. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 tbsp. coconut (or vegetable) oil

• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 to 3 tbsp. prepared Thai red curry paste

• 1 (14-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 c.)

• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained

• 1 tbsp. fish sauce, more to taste

• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar

• 12 oz. penne pasta

If you have it:

• 4 c. baby spinach

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, sweet potatoes and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain.

As the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar to the sauce and combine. Then add the spinach (if you have it) and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted. Taste for seasoning, adding more fish sauce, lime juice and/or brown sugar, if necessary.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until coated and heated through. If pasta sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram ­at @meredithdeeds.