The cooking of the Mediterranean and the Middle East is full of dinners that come together quickly. Olive oil, garlic, lemon, tomatoes and good pantry staples do most of the work, and many dishes rely on bold, ready-made flavors like olives, capers and feta rather than long simmering. This collection brings together recipes from Greece, Italy, North Africa and the Levant, each finished in 20 minutes or less.
The recipes
From Greece, there’s chicken souvlaki pitas with a quick homemade tzatziki, and a crunchy Greek chickpea salad with feta and oregano. The Mediterranean cod gently cooks white fish in burst cherry tomatoes, olives and capers.
Italy brings spaghetti puttanesca, almost entirely made from pantry staples, and a no-cook Tuscan tuna and white bean salad.
From North Africa and the Middle East come quick shakshuka, eggs poached in spiced tomato and pepper sauce, and mujadara, the much-loved lentils and rice with crispy onions. Turkey contributes Turkish eggs (çılbır), poached eggs on garlic yogurt with sizzling Aleppo pepper butter. The halloumi couscous brings squeaky golden cheese and lemony couscous, while the one-pan Moroccan chicken and couscous cooks spiced chicken, chickpeas and apricots together in 20 minutes. For a meaty centerpiece, easy lamb chops get a cumin and coriander rub and a cool mint yogurt sauce, and easy lamb kofta are spiced ground lamb cooked in a grill pan or under the broiler and wrapped in warm flatbread with garlic yogurt.
Cooking tips
Good olive oil is worth it, especially in the salads, where it’s tasted raw. Season with lemon at the end; a squeeze just before serving brightens tomato sauces and grain dishes alike. Rinse capers to remove some of their brine, and taste before adding salt, since olives, feta and anchovies all bring plenty.
How to choose
If you’d like a no-cook dinner, pick one of the salads. Shakshuka, Turkish eggs and puttanesca are the best options when the fridge is nearly empty. Souvlaki and the cod skillet are the ones for a fresh, protein-focused plate. For more chickpea and lentil ideas, see our bean, chickpea and lentil dinners.