Bored of sandwiches? Here’s 5 pasta dishes to enjoy for lunch…

Deciding what you’re going to have for lunch at work can be a pain! Typically, most of us will just settle for a hastily-made sandwich, thrown together in the morning before we run out the door. But, when lunchtime comes around, it can be hard to get excited about the squashed cheese sandwich at the bottom of your bag…

Instead, why not try breaking the monotony of your daily sandwich making by preparing a delicious pasta dish instead? Having pasta for lunch is actually an incredibly sustainable and healthy alternative to the same-old sandwich. Because pasta is a carbohydrate, it is excellent fuel for your brain as well as your muscles. Specifically, pasta is a complex carbohydrate, meaning it slowly releases energy and, if eaten for lunch, it will help keep you fuelled throughout your afternoon at work.

The other great thing about having pasta at lunch is that you can make it the night before and leave it in the fridge, pre-made and ready for the next day! This preparation will help to save you those few precious minutes first thing in the morning and may even result in a calmer start to your day!

Check out our Top 5 Simple Pasta Dishes for lunch…

This is the perfect hearty dinner to make for the whole family and, if you plan ahead, you can make an extra lunch portion and save it for work the next day! All you need to do is pop it in a container and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then collect it the next morning as you head out the door and stick it in the microwave at work at lunchtime. We highly recommend this Crunchy Tuna Pasta Bake on a grey, miserable day!

This pasta dish is surprisingly simple to make and can easily be reheated at work the next day. It makes a welcome change to the usual weekday lunches! You can enjoy a hot Mushroom and Ricotta Cannelloni which will see you through until home time. Plus, everyone at work will be jealous of your luxurious lunch!

Making meals really doesn’t get much simpler than this Pasta, Cheese and Vegetable Bake! All you have to do is mix all the ingredients together and bake the entire thing in the oven. If you make a bit extra then you can cook enough for dinner for the whole family plus a lunch portion for the next day.

If the sun is shining and it’s a bright and cheerful day then you may think that pasta is a bit heavy to be eaten at lunch. That’s where you’re wrong! This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta makes an excellent spring/summer lunch recipe. It can be enjoyed with a fresh, crispy salad to really make it feel extra sunny!

This is our number one simple pasta dish for lunch! Not only is this Roasted Vegetable Pasta dead easy to make, but it’s also delicious and is guaranteed to sustain you all day at work. The other great thing about it is that you can use up whatever you have in your fridge at home to add to it, so it can help you cut down on your waste.

So, why not give a simple lunchtime pasta a go? Not only will it make your lunches more exciting, but it’ll keep you going all day long!

Have a look at the rest of our recipe section to discover more inspiration for your weekday lunches…