There are plenty of student cookbooks out there, but one thing too many seem to have in common is that they’re laughably over-ambitious. Moroccan chicken is undeniably delicious, but not many students are willing to set aside part of their weekly vodka budget for harissa paste or ras el hanout. And although whole chickens might be great value, I can tell you exactly how many times I bothered to roast one at university – zero.
What I did I eat was pasta, and lots of it. It’s quick to cook, tasty and – most importantly for a student – cheap. And, although white pasta is admittedly a little lacking on the nutritional side of things, Italy’s favourite carbohydrate doesn’t need to be an unhealthy meal. Opting for wholegrain now and again will provide a valuable dollop of fibre, and cheap vegetables are easily incorporated. Onions and tinned tomatoes cost just pennies, and are, handily, also probably the easiest way to create a flavoursome sauce.
Here are three recipes I remember from my student days. I’ve given the quantities to make one serving, as you’ll probably mostly be cooking for yourself, but if you double the recipe you’ll have fewer leftovers – e.g, instead of half a tin of tomatoes, you’ll use the entire thing. I often cooked for two and kept the remaining portion for the next night or shared it with a friend. This served the admirable purpose of both keeping costs down and stopping half-empty tubs filling up the fridge.
After all, if that happens, where will you keep the beer?
Pasta with lemon, salmon trimmings and crème fraiche
Light and luscious: salmon pasta (ALAMY)
Smoked salmon trimmings are one of the best value items you can buy in a supermarket – for around just £1.50, you can enjoy what is usually a luxury. Fish oils are good for the brain, too.
Serves one
Splash of olive oil
One clove of garlic, finely chopped
100g pasta
60g smoked salmon trimmings (around half a Tesco value pack)
Two tablespoons crème fraiche
Zest of half a lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice
Black pepper
Heat a pan of salted water till boiling and add your pasta.
While that’s cooking, fry the garlic in the olive oil until pale gold and softened.
Add the crème fraiche, the lemon zest and juice and the salmon trimmings. Mix together and cook on a medium heat until the sauce is warmed through and thickened slightly.
When your pasta is cooked, drain it, then add to the crème fraiche pan and mix together with the sauce. Top with plenty of black pepper and serve.
Sort-of pasta puttanesca (‘Tart’s spaghetti’)
Basil sprig optional: pasta puttanesca (ALAMY)
This Italian staple is ideal for students because it contains no meat, which is often prohibitively expensive on a university budget. But salty anchovies more than make up in terms of flavour. The spinach isn’t conventional, but will give you some all-important vegetable matter without breaking the bank.
Serves one
Splash of olive oil
100g spaghetti
Half a 400g can of chopped tomatoes
2-3 anchovies, from a tin or jar
One clove of garlic, finely chopped
60g spinach (you can use fresh, but frozen is cheaper – keep a bag in the freezer and defrost as needed)
A heaped teaspoon of capers (sounds luxurious but a jar keeps well in the fridge).
Pinch of chilli flakes
Handful of black olives, roughly chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a pan, then cook the garlic till pale gold and softened.
Add the tomatoes, anchovies, olives (if using), chilli flakes and the capers and simmer for 10 minutes or so until thickened.
Cook pasta according to the packet instructions, mix with the sauce and serve.
Sausage, fennel and tomato pasta
Hearty: sausage and tomato pasta (ALAMY)
You might roll your eyes at the idea of buying fennel seeds, but for a pound or so, you’ll have a jar of flavour that will liven up plenty of meals and probably last you your first year. Alternatively, just leave them out.
Serves one
Splash of olive oil
2 sausages, squeezed out of their skins and rolled into rough meatballs
Teaspoon ground fennel seeds (you can bash them with a book or rolling pin inside a plastic bag if, as is likely, there’s no pestle and mortar available)
Half a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Garlic clove, chopped
Red wine (Optional, but I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a bottle of this lying round the house)
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the sausage meatballs and fry until browned and cooked through.
Add the garlic and fry till softened, then pour in the wine and cook for a few minutes until it’s bubbling and mostly evaporated.
Add the chilli and fennel, stir to combine and allow to cook for a few minutes. (It’s probably wise to get your pasta cooking around now)
Add your tomatoes. Mix with the sausages and simmer for around 10-15 minutes or until your sauce is thickened. Drain pasta, mix with sauce and serve. A little grated cheese doesn't go amiss on top, if you have it.
