Our Best 30-Minute Dinner Recipes & Ideas

Smooth and savory.

The sauce is so incredible.

Some people have always understood that soup can be easy. I’ve just never been one of them. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion eating lunch with a friend who packed leftover soup — incredibly delicious-looking soup they’d just casually “whipped up” the night before. What was this sorcery? Doesn’t soup involve lots of chopping and simmering and layering of flavors? Apparently not, as I discovered while working on this easy pumpkin soup.

And it’s perfect on the leftovers sandwich, too!

Pastina is classic Italian comfort food. It’s the kind of dish that a mom might serve her kids when they are feeling under the weather, and is often one of the first solid foods a baby might eat. It’s a nostalgic childhood treat in Italy and something your kids are sure to enjoy as well. The seasoning is as easy as it gets: Just a bit of black pepper and maybe a pinch of salt, depending on the saltiness of your broth and cheese. The simplicity is what makes this dish special!

Spoiler: it’s because of brown butter, garlic, and Parm.

With one delicious twist.

Cacio e pepe is one of my favorite simple pastas — just spaghetti, Pecorino Romano, and freshly cracked black pepper come together in a creamy (without a drop of cream!), cheesy sauce. My version adds a little twist: gochujang paste. It’s a one-ingredient upgrade that completely transforms the dish by adding depth, umami, and a subtle kick of heat that blends perfectly with the cheese and pepper.

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to enjoy Brussels sprouts is when they’re deeply crispy and caramelized. While there are several paths that can get you there — including high-heat roasting and air frying — there’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of Brussels sprouts that have been deep-fried.

They're shockingly simple to make.

Bonus: It’s ready in 30 minutes!

There are many reasons to love black cod — it is sustainably fished, full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and wonderfully buttery when cooked. Here’s one more: Nobu restaurant’s miso-marinated black cod, a classic Japanese-influenced recipe that makes an easy, elegant dinner for guests or a quick main dish you can prep over the weekend.

These smooth and creamy grits are ready in record time.

Classic lasagna has met its match.

Short on prep, but big in flavor.

They're ready in 30 minutes or less.

You'll never make broccoli another way.

It’s a skillet dinner win.

It’s so easy.

It’s fall in a bowl.

The sauce is like striking gold.

Socca is a popular street food in Nice, France, and is often enjoyed as an appetizer with a glass of crisp rosé. In our own kitchens, this classic dish can be a go-to, any-time-of-day recipe. Learn how to make it by heart and it might just be one of those recipes that comes close to changing your life. We’ve recreated this street food for home.

You don't even have to peel it!

It cooks in under 10 minutes.

There's more to it than you think.

Sometimes the only thing that can solve a long, hectic weekday is a splash of cream. In those cases, turn to this comforting creamy tomato pasta. Al dente short noodles, such as penne pasta, are tossed in a quick tomato cream sauce and finished with lots of chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan for the kind of meal the whole family can agree on. It will put a smile of everyone’s face, no matter the kind of day they had! Here’s how to make it.

It'll change your mind about chilled soup.

We’re here for the feta.

Burrata makes everything just peachy.

I keep coming back to it.

Mahi mahi is a firm, lean white fish that hails from warm waters off of places like Hawaii or the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a great, less expensive alternative to halibut, and can be grilled, broiled, or even fried. But one of our favorite ways to prepare it is to simply pan-sear it, which lets the flavors and flaky texture shine. Searing it in a pan also lets you make a buttery, lemon-y sauce to drizzle all over the fish.

I can’t stop making it.

Shrimp scampi has always been one of my go-to weeknight dinners. It’s quick, comforting, and full of garlicky, buttery flavor. It’s the kind of dish I turn to when I want something that feels special, but takes almost no time to make. Traditionally, it’s made with garlic, lemon, white wine, and butter, all tossed with shrimp. For my version, I swapped out the usual scampi sauce for something with a little more punch: cowboy butter!

This is what your meal is missing.