Speedy Weeknight Meals: 3 Italian-inspired midweek recipes that take 20 minutes to make

Bloomsbury_JonWatts_16-19.1.24_PrawnChorizoSpaghetti - 381

Credit: Jonathan Gregson

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Speedy Weeknight Meals: 3 Italian-inspired midweek recipes that take 20 minutes to make

By Alex Sims

6 months ago

4 min read

When life gets busy, add these three Italian-inspired speedy recipes to your weeknight repertoire.


It’s not unusual to arrive home exhausted after a busy day at work and turn to the Deliveroo app rather than spend hours battling with pots and pans to make dinner in the kitchen. Juggling commuting, gym classes and socalising, alongside calculating what’s left in the fridge, can make having a fresh-cooked dinner on weeknights a real challenge. But Jon Watts wants to change all this.

The British chef – who got started in the kitchen after signing up for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, following six-and-a-half years in a young offender’s institution – is all about equipping people with the skills they need to make meals from scratch at home. His new book, Speedy Weeknight Meals, features 80 easy recipes that can all be made in under 30 minutes – perfect after a busy day.  

Speedy Weeknight Meals by Jon Watts

Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing

From family favourites and fast fakeaways to low-calorie options and recipes that only require six ingredients or fewer, Watts has a whole range of meals perfect for every kind of midweek occasion. Here, we’re sharing three Italian-inspired recipes that can be on your table in just 20 minutes. 

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Creamy Tuscan Cod

Watts says: “Just a handful of ingredients make up this creamy Italian-inspired sauce with lightly poached cod fillets. This is pretty versatile; dish it up with rice, potatoes or even pasta. Cod is delicate and doesn’t need loads of work: here, it just simmers in a sauce that carries so much flavour.” 

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients 

  • 4 skinless cod fillets
  • 1–2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 150ml double cream
  • 80g baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
  • 40g finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and black pepper

Method 

Season the cod with salt and pepper, then heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the cod for 2–3 minutes on each side, until it’s almost cooked through.

Remove the fish from the pan, leaving the oil behind, and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it softens.

Chuck in the garlic and cook for a minute before pouring in the stock and cream.

Add the baby spinach and sundried tomato paste, stir well, then bring to a simmer.

Tip in the Parmesan and stir well, then get the cod fillets back in the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens (3–4 minutes), taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, then dish it up straight away.


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Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe

Watts says: “Cacio e pepe translates to ‘cheese and pepper’, and that is exactly what this irresistible dish is. Traditionally, pecorino – a hard sheep’s milk cheese similar to Parmesan which is easy to find in UK supermarkets – is used. This is perfect when you want a great Italian-inspired meal in 15 minutes.”

Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients 

  • 400g gnocchi
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 40g finely grated
  • pecorino cheese, plus more (optional) to serve
  • 10g parsley leaves, chopped
  • salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Method 

Cook the gnocchi in plenty of salted boiling water, according to the packet instructions. Drain, but reserve some of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once it starts foaming, add the black pepper and cook for a minute, until fragrant.

Add about 40ml of the gnocchi cooking water to the pan and stir until the sauce has emulsified.

Add the drained gnocchi to the pan along with the grated pecorino. Toss until the cheese has melted and you have a smooth, glossy sauce. If it needs loosening up, add a little more of the reserved cooking water. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and stir well.

Divide between 2 warmed bowls and finish with more grated cheese, if you like.


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Prawn & Chorizo Spaghetti

Watts says: “A simple pasta dish given piquancy with garlic, crème fraîche and lemon to cut through the richness of chorizo. Don’t be afraid to add the Parmesan here: anyone claiming that cheese ‘doesn’t go’ with seafood doesn’t know what they’re talking about! Trust me: try it out and see for yourself.” 

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients 

  • 200g spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 120g chorizo, cut into small chunks
  • 150g raw shelled king prawns
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 200ml crème fraîche
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional) and the juice of ½ a lemon
  • 50g finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
  • 10g parsley leaves, chopped
  • salt and black pepper

Method 

Drop the pasta into salted boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain, but reserve the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chorizo over a medium-high heat for a few minutes, until it starts to turn crispy at the edges.

Add the prawns and the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The prawns should turn pink.

Use a ladle to add some of the pasta water to the pan, then add the crème fraîche, lemon juice, Parmesan and parsley. Stir together.

Now add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat. If the sauce needs thickening, stir it over the heat to reduce it a little. If it needs loosening up, add another ladle of pasta water.

Taste for seasoning, adjust if needed, then finish with grated Parmesan and lemon zest, if you like.


Speedy Weeknight Meals by Jon Watts (£20, Bloomsbury Publishing) is out now 

Photography: Jonathan Gregson

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