Jamie Oliver’s recipes for fish pie pasta bake and tomato and feta lentils

Of course, the act of cooking can be many things – joy, ritual, nourishment, comfort, celebration, indulgence – but this fish pie pasta bake and tomato and feta lentils are strictly about speed. Because, in reality, these are exactly the kind of recipes we all need in our repertoire, ready to whip out on a Wednesday night.

Fish pie pasta bake (pictured top)

Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

320g frozen spinach
1 onion (160g)
Olive oil
300g dried macaroni
50g plain flour
2 heaped tsp English mustard
500ml semi-skimmed milk
Salt and black pepper
400g frozen fish pie mix, from sustainable sources
100g cheddar
2 red chicory
60g rocket
Red-wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil

Turn on the grill to high. Boil the kettle. Defrost the spinach in a bowl in the microwave. Peel and finely chop the onion, and place in a large ovenproof frying pan on a high heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook, stirring regularly, for five minutes, or until soft. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water for eight minutes, until al dente, then drain, reserving a mugful of the starchy cooking water.

Stir the flour and mustard into the onions, then gradually stir in the milk. Add the spinach to the pan, water and all, then season. Stir in the fish chunks and simmer for five minutes on a medium heat, then stir in the drained pasta, along with a splash of the reserved water, if needed. Coarsely grate and mix in half the cheese, grating the rest over the top. Carefully transfer to the highest shelf of the grill for a few minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Meanwhile, finely slice the chicory bases and separate the leaves, toss with the rocket and a tablespoon each of red-wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, then season. Serve with the fish pie pasta bake.

Tomato and feta lentils

Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

4 garlic cloves
1 fresh red chilli
Olive oil
500g ripe tomatoes
1 460g jar roast red peppers
½ pomegranate
30g shelled unsalted pistachios
1 bunch dill (20g)
4 flatbreads
2 400g tins lentils
Red-wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
100g feta

Peel the garlic and finely slice with the chilli, then put in a shallow casserole pan on a medium-high heat with two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook, stirring regularly, until soft but not coloured. Chop and add the tomatoes. Tip the peppers, juice and all, into a blender, blitz smooth, then pour into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, or until thickened.

Meanwhile, hold the pomegranate half cut side down in your palm and bash the back of it so the seeds tumble out into a bowl. Finely chop the pistachios. Pick and chop the dill. Warm the flatbreads.

Drain the lentils and add to the pan with a half-tablespoon of red-wine vinegar. Simmer for a final five minutes, then stir through half the pomegranate seeds and half the chopped dill, and season.

Scatter over the pistachios and the remaining pomegranate seeds, crumble over the feta, and sprinkle over the remaining dill. Serve with warm flatbreads.

• These recipes are edited extracts from 20-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver, published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2026, 20MM) at £30. To order a copy for £25.50, visit guardianbookshop.com

• The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable seafood. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.