20 ways with tinned tomatoes

Once you've worked your way through our top tinned tomato recipes, head to our ultimate storecupboard hub for more meal inspiration.

See more budget ideas including healthy recipes and vegetarian meals.

Top tinned tomatoes recipes

1. The best spaghetti bolognese

No one can resist a bowlful of this family classic. Our best spaghetti bolognese has a rich, meaty sauce you can freeze for future dinners. The tinned plum tomatoes will break up during cooking to make a base for your bolognese. Stock, staple herbs and a splash of red wine are the secret ingredients to a super-flavourful dish. Serve with spaghetti, plenty of parmesan and crusty bread for mopping up the delicious dregs.

Want to bump up your five-a-day? Our lentil ragu makes a great veggie alternative to a traditional bolognese. For more Italian classics peruse our ultimate bolognese collection.

2. Double bean & roasted pepper chilli

Our double bean & roasted pepper chilli is the undisputed king for feeding a crowd. Combine tinned tomatoes, roasted red peppers and a variety of mixed beans with fresh veg to make a bubbling, beany masterpiece. This healthy, hearty dish is perfect for leaving in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. Freeze any leftovers for speedy midweek meals.

Spice up your life with our favourite chilli con carne recipes or tuck into our best vegetarian chilli recipes.

3. Cod with olives & crispy pancetta

Throw together a grand total of four ingredients to create a simple fish supper in just 20 minutes. Our cod with olives & crispy pancetta is the perfect solution to the nightly meal stress. Try serving with a blob of creamy mashed potatoes or hunks of crusty bread. Switch up your tomato traybakes with our meatball & mozzarella bake or our oven-baked ratatouille & sausages.

For even more genius dinner hacks, take a look at our five-ingredient family meals collection.

4. Creamy tomato risotto

Tomatoes, basil and cheese are truly a match made in heaven. Bring them together in our creamy tomato risotto. This simple family meal takes just five minutes to prepare, so no need to sweat it out in the kitchen. Nourishing, bursting with flavour and easy to make, what more could you want?

Get your fill of our best ever risotto recipes and make good use of that bag of rice in the cupboard.

5. Easy paella

Infuse your dinner with Spanish-inspired flavours with our easy paella. This fridge-raiding recipe uses frozen seafood, a choice of either paella or risotto rice and a handful of spicy chorizo if you have it. If you fancy a twist on the traditional with a few clever storecupboard swaps, this is the dinner for you.

Serve up more spicy seafood treats with our best ever paella recipes.

6. Tuna & sundried tomato pasta bake

It's a truth universally acknowledged, everyone loves a pasta bake. Our tuna & sundried tomato pasta bake is no exception. Go from an empty dish, to serving in just 25 minutes. Mix it up and try our puttanesca baked gnocchi, it only takes five minutes to prepare.

Try even more bubbling bakes and cheesy bowlfuls with our best ever pasta bake recipes.

7. Aubergine, tomato & halloumi pie

Celebrate meat-free Monday with a chunky slab of our aubergine, tomato & halloumi pie. You can feed the whole family and still have enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Serve up a golden brown slice with a fresh green salad for a wholesome plate of veggie goodness.

Get more inspiration for vibrant vegetarian pie recipes bursting with colour and flavour.

8. Tomato & chickpea curry

Whip up a warming tomato & chickpea curry in just four easy steps, serve with fluffy rice and a sprinkling of fresh coriander. Combine plum tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and storecupboard spices for a beautifully fragrant and aromatic dish.

Try our other favourite chickpea curry recipes for more staples made special, or check out our ultimate curry recipe collection for a smorgasbord of spicy suppers.

9. Rich tomato soup with pesto

Keep it classic with a comforting bowl of silky smooth rich tomato soup with pesto. Simply bubble plum tomatoes until they break down, the sundried tomatoes add depth and a punchy flavour. A swirl of soured cream and pesto give this simple recipe a touch of luxury. Take your tomatoes to the next level with our favourite tomato soup recipes.

Save money with more budget-friendly soup recipes, big on flavour, low on cost.

10. Tomato & harissa stew with cheddar dumplings

We have two words to take a standard veggie casserole from boring to brilliant; cheddar dumplings. Our tomato & harissa stew uses spicy North African flavours and chunky cheesy dumplings to create a winning dinner. Try a Somerset stew with cheddar and parsley mash to use up tinned beans, or a meaty butter bean & chorizo stew with just five ingredients.

Make a whole host of nutritious meals with our healthy casserole & stew recipes.

11. Chicken chilli con carne

Not too keen on red meat? Try our chicken version of chilli con carne, with all the richness of the classic dish. It makes a great sofa supper on cold nights. Use up any leftovers by using the chilli as filling for chicken empanadas.

See more budget chicken ideas.

12. Sausage & mushroom ragu

Do something different with sausages and transform them into this veg-packed ragu. Great for a family dinner, serve with couscous, mash or pasta. Double your ingredients to make a big batch to freeze for later.

Discover more sausage pasta recipes.

13. Courgette curry

Use up a glut of courgettes with this easy curry. Scoop out the seeds before slicing and fry the courgettes to achieve a firmer texture. Bulk out the sauce with the seeds so nothing is wasted.

See more ideas with our courgette recipes.

14. Bean & halloumi stew

Use a can of mixed beans to make this tomato-based veggie stew with halloumi. Make it in just 25 minutes for a quick and easy midweek supper. To make it vegan, swap the halloumi for fried aubergine slices and use a vegan-friendly sundried tomato pesto.

For more halloumi ideas, see our ultimate halloumi recipe collection.

15. Enchilada pie

Give your midweek meal a Mexican-inspired twist with our easy enchilada pie. Packed with nutritious veggies, it provides a whopping four of your five-a-day.

See our easy Mexican recipes for more ideas.

16. Chickpea curry

This easy chickpea curry is a vegan-friendly, gluten-free recipe that's three of your five-a-day. It works well as a main course or a simple side dish. It's also freezable for any leftovers.

See wraps, soups and salads with our chickpea recipes.

17. Classic minestrone soup

Whip up this classic Italian vegetable soup with a rich tomato base and pasta. It's low in calories and packed with fibre and vitamin C.

Warm up with even more easy soup recipes.

18. Cajun chicken pasta

Make a crowd-pleasing pasta dish for dinner. We’ve taken inspiration from creamy alfredo sauce with Cajun-style seasoning to add a bit of punch. The spiced chicken sauce is a great one to freeze for easy meals. Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-proof container for up to three months. Defrost completely and reheat until piping hot.

See more chicken pasta ideas.

19. One-pan eggs & peppers

Enjoying eggs for breakfast will keep you going until lunchtime. Delivering four of your five-a-day, eggs are packed with nutrients and make a great supper choice, too. To make it vegan, omit the eggs in the recipe and replace with slices of tofu.

Discover more healthy egg recipes.

20. Healthy lasagne

Enjoy our lighter version of the family classic – lasagne. It has bags of flavour, but comes in at under 500 calories a portion, as well as packing in four of your five-a-day.

See more healthy dinner recipes.

Enjoyed these recipes? Try our other storecupboard dishes...

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What's your favourite recipe that uses tinned tomatoes? Leave a comment below...