My Favorite 30-Minute Meals That Aren't Pasta

These recipes are faster than ordering delivery.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published February 23, 2025
Robin Shreeves
Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

I have nothing against pasta. In fact, I love it. But it's often too easy to fall back on pasta when I don't have much time to cook a meal. To switch things up, here are 14 non-pasta recipes to add to your repertoire of lightning-fast meals.

  • Shrimp Fried Rice

    Shrimp Fried Rice

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    If you have leftover cooked rice, turn it into what one reader calls the "best shrimp fried rice ever!" It's a one-pot dinner that's incredibly easy to customize, making it a total crowd-pleaser.

  • Italian Greens and Beans

    Bowl of Italian beans and greens next to a pot with more, a wooden board with lemon wedges, and a block of parmesan

    Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

    Using canned white beans makes this speedy meal taste like it's been stewing all day. No one needs to know it only took half an hour!

  • Chopped Cheese

    Two Halves of a Chopped Cheese Sandwich on a Plate

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    Turn ground beef into a tasty sandwich with a vibe that's somewhere between a cheesesteak and a burger. It's a New York City bodega classic that's easy to make at home.

  • Tomato Rice with Chicken and Green Beans

    tomato rice with chicken

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Contributor Stephanie Burt says, "To save time, use shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken. Add the shredded chicken to the tomato rice at the same point the pulled chicken is added to the recipe."

    Continue to 5 of 14 below

  • Tortilla Española (Spanish Tortilla)

    spanish tortilla in a cast iron skillet

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    Whip up this potato-and-egg dish and dine like you're in a Spanish tapas bar. It takes just four ingredients and gives your cast-iron pan a workout. Serve it with a simple salad for a complete meal.

  • Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

    Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    What's better than beef and broccoli? Thirty-minute beef and broccoli that's made entirely in one pot.

  • Unstuffed Peppers

    spoonful of unstuffed pepper lifted from skillet with more

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    Enjoy all the flavors of stuffed peppers without having to, well, stuff them! This is a complete, one-pot meal the whole family will love.

  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    creamy tuscan chicken in a pot next to sliced bread on a wooden board

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Whip up a restaurant-quality dinner on your stovetop in record time. This creamy, cheesy, flavorful chicken is sure to be a hit.

    Continue to 9 of 14 below

  • Microwave Shakshuka

    Microwave Shakshuka in a Circular Pyrex Dish on a Circular Tray Surrounded by Slices of Bread on the Counter, a Small Bowl of Cracked Pepper, and a Glass of Water

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    For flavorful shakshuka featuring perfectly poached eggs in a fraction of the time, turn to your microwave. Add some crusty bread and dinner is served.

  • Baked Ground Beef Tacos

    Baked tacos on a platte surrounded by bowls of toppings (bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce, bowl of diced onions, bowl of tomatoes, bowl of salsa, and a bowl of sour cream)

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RD

    Make a bunch of tacos at once by whipping up a ground beef filling as the oven preheats, then assemble your tacos and slide the baking sheet in the oven. It'll give you just enough time to set out toppings on the dinner table.

  • Creamy Chicken Florentine

    Creamy chicken Florentine in skillet.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    You can make creamy, dreamy chicken with spinach and mushrooms in under 30 minutes—how cool is that? Enjoy as a protein-packed meal on its own or make some rice as the chicken cooks.

  • Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus

    Overhead view of garlic butter sheet pan shrimp and asparagus on a baking sheet.
    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    You just need 30 minutes for this versatile meal that you can serve on its own or over rice, which you cook while the asparagus and shrimp are roasting in the oven.

    Continue to 13 of 14 below

  • Copycat Ronto Wraps

    Overhead: Plate of Ronto Wraps Topped With Slaw and Dressing and a Plate With More Flatbread

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    This recipe is inspired by an iconic dish at Disneyland, but it's incredibly easy to whip up at home and makes for a delicious weeknight meal.

  • Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

    Four chicken breasts with balsamic mushrooms on a white serving plate

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    Contributor Stephanie A. Ganz says, "If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, consider giving them a light pounding with a meat mallet so that they will cook more evenly and quickly."

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