Food & Cooking Recipes Dinner Recipes Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes These 5-Ingredient Recipes Make Quick, Flavor-Packed Dinners for Busy Nights From pizza and pasta to soup, you don't need a lot of ingredients to make a delicious meal. By Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano is an associate editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home and pets. She has five years of writing and editing experience in the digital publishing industry. Editorial Guidelines and Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Published on May 31, 2024 Close Photo: Con Poulos We love a cooking project, but not every night. Some evenings call for easy meals, like these five-ingredient recipes that don't require an extra trip to the grocery store or need a lot of time at the stove. From no-fuss pasta dishes and delicious pizzas to seasonal soups, each can be made using just five ingredients—not counting kitchen staples like salt, pepper, cooking oil, and water. These recipes are a reminder to keep your pantry and freezer stocked—and you'll be on your way to making a delicious meal in no time. 20 Dinner Recipes You Can Make in 15 Minutes (or Less) 01 of 14 Classic Margherita Pizza Paola + Murray Pizza is an elemental dish; a few ingredients come together to create a masterpiece. For this easy take, we start with store-bought pizza dough and marinara sauce. Sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, the pizza bakes to crispy, cheesy perfection in just 20 minutes. View Recipe 02 of 14 Sauteed Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce While the combination of ingredients in this dish may have originated in France, they're perfect for your own kitchen. Take the mustard-cream sauce to the next level by adding fresh tarragon and the brown bits that accumulate on the bottom of the pan after sautéing the chicken. View Recipe 03 of 14 Martha's Fettuccine Alfredo Bryan Gardner We're coming in under budget with this recipe—it’s a three-ingredient wonder and as simple and classic as can be. Butter, Parmesan cheese, and pasta are an irresistible combination. Martha’s version is easy and much like the original, but you will need to get out your mixer to combine the cheese and butter—trust us, it’s well worth it. View Recipe 04 of 14 Quick Broccoli Frittata Frank Frances Breakfast for dinner, anyone? This frittata recipe was created with convenience in mind, but it doesn't slouch on flavor. Sharp white cheddar melts perfectly into the eggs, while the broccoli adds freshness and added nutritional value. View Recipe 05 of 14 Bell Pepper Egg-in-a-Hole A colorful, delicious vegetarian entree made with just a handful of ingredients. The sweet bell peppers are a nice foil for the richness of the sunny yellow yolks; to give the meal more heft, we serve them on multigrain toast. View Recipe 06 of 14 Basic Chicken Soup Diana Chistruga Humble chicken soup often calls for a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices, but it doesn't need all of them to be tasty. This simplified version is one of our favorites—a chicken cut into pieces boils in a pot of water with vegetables and aromatics, forming a satisfying broth. View Recipe 07 of 14 Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes Add filling ingredients to a baked sweet potato to transform it into a hearty as well as nutritious meal. Here, cannellini beans provide protein, while broccoli rabe adds a dynamic flavor that's slightly bitter and somewhat nutty. View Recipe 08 of 14 Simple Risotto While there are plenty of risotto variations, Arborio rice, stock or broth, a touch of wine, and plenty of Parmesan are key to making this creamy Italian dish. Once you try our simple take on the dish, you can always add more ingredients like mushrooms or peas. View Recipe 09 of 14 Roasted Salmon With Butter Romulo Yanes Use this elemental technique to cook not only salmon but any thick fish fillet or steak (we love it with swordfish or halibut). It’s a two-ingredient entree (butter and salmon) with parsley as an optional third ingredient. Serve with steamed broccolini and rice or sauteed green beans to bring you to five ingredients. View Recipe 10 of 14 Cheater's Mac and Cheese Con Poulos The secret to this five-ingredient, 20-minute macaroni and cheese is cream cheese. It makes a creamy sauce in next to no time. Adding Parmesan amps up the cheesy flavor. View Recipe 11 of 14 Roasted Pumpkin Soup Once a chill hits the air, we're craving this comforting soup. An added plus? It's completely vegan because its creaminess comes from the sugar pumpkin (or butternut squash if you go that route). View Recipe 12 of 14 One-Pot Pasta With Broccoli and Lemon Bryan Gardner Streamlined prep and easy clean-up are defining features of one-pot meals. Here, a family-friendly meal of tender broccoli florets and penne pasta is brightened with lemon, garlic, and plenty of Parmesan. View Recipe 13 of 14 Prosciutto Mozzarella Pizza Roland Bello Slightly sweet and perfectly salty, prosciutto elevates a basic mozzarella pizza. Opt for store-bought pizza dough to keep this dish under five ingredients. View Recipe 14 of 14 Roast Spatchcocked Lemon Chicken Chris Court Three ingredients (plus oil, salt, and pepper) are all it takes to make a beautiful roast chicken. Spatchcocking the bird—a technique that requires splitting and flattening the chicken—exposes the skin so it gets extra crispy. Serve with a side of roasted vegetables. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit