Say farewell to dull desk lunches! With these quick pasta lunchbox ideas, you’ll twirl your way through the workday with flavour and flair. Easy to prepare, fun to pack and guaranteed to make your colleagues jealous. 

 

5-ingredient pasta bake   

Serves 3-4   

Ingredients  

3 wheels feta 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 
2 punnets (250g each) cherry tomatoes 
Handful fresh basil, chopped plus extra to serve 
Olive oil, for drizzling 
Salt and milled black pepper 
1 packet (500g) macaroni, rigatoni or fusilli 
Chilli flakes, to serve 

 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Arrange feta, garlic, tomatoes and basil in a deep ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and season.  
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up feta and tomatoes.  
4. Bake for another 10 minutes.  
5. Toss tomato and feta mixture through cooked pasta and season well.  
6. Serve hot and scattered with basil and chilli  

 

Recipe and styling: Chad January
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

 

Chilli oil peanut noodles  

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients  

2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp fresh ginger 
2 Tbsp chilli flakes 
2 tsp sugar 
¾ cup vegetable oil 
1 Tbsp chilli oil 
1 cup smooth peanut butter 
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
3 Tbsp water 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles 
¼ purple cabbage, finely chopped 
3 spring onions, sliced 
1 lime, sliced into wedges 

  

Method  

1. Place garlic, ginger,chilliflakes and sugar into a large heat-safe bowl.  
2. Heat the oils in a pan until sizzling hot, remove and slowly pour over spices – be careful, the mixture will foam up. Cool thechillioil slightly.  
3. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and water, addchillioil then whisk to combine. 
4. Cook noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavoursachet), drain and toss through peanut chili sauce.  
5. Toss the cabbage and spring onions through the noodles,divideinto bowls and finish with a squeeze of lime. 

 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

 

Cheesy bacon noodle cups  

Makes 9-12 

Ingredients  

3 Tbsp butter 
2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp mustard powder 
Salt and milled pepper 
2 Tbsp flour 
2 cups milk 
1 cup grated cheddar + extra for topping 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles, chopped 
100g streaky bacon, cooked and chopped finely 
100g mozzarella, cut into small pieces 
Handful chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)  

 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. 
3. Add garlic, mustard powder and seasoning then fry until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.  
4. Add flour and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the milk while continuously whisking, then cook until thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes.  
5. Remove from heat, add cheddar and mix through.  
6. Cook 2-minute noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavour sachet), drain and toss through cheese sauce along with ¾ of the chopped bacon.  
7. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin thoroughly.  
8. Fill tin with scoops of noodle mixture, nestle pieces of mozzarella in each cup, along with final sprinkling of cheddar, bacon and seasoning.  
9. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.  
10. Use a knife to loosen each noodle cup, then allow them to cool in the tin before removing.  
11. Sprinkle with parsley and wrap in wax paper for your lunchbox. 

 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

 

Green pasta salad 

Serves 2-3  

Ingredients 

For the sauce   

1 cup plain double-cream yoghurt  
1 avocado 
Handful coriander, leaves picked  
100g spinach blanched and squeezed  
¼ cup lemon juice  
Salt and milled pepper  

 

100g fine green beans  
200g sugar snap peas 
120g shelled edamame beans (or use green peas)
300g pasta or pasta rice (we used orecchiette), cooked and cooled  
1 avocado, diced or quartered  
Handful toasted almonds, chopped 
Handful micro herbs or baby leaf mix   

 

Method 

1. Combine the sauce ingredients and blitz until smooth using a stick blender. (You can thin the sauce down with a splash of water, if you like).   
2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil andset a separate bowl of ice water next to it.  
3. Drop the beans and peas into the boiling water and boil for 45 seconds. Then, remove the beans and peas using a slotted spoon and submerge in iced water.  
4. Toss pasta through sauce and divide between plates.  
5. Toss together the greens then dress lightly in olive oil and spoon onto pasta.  
6. To serve, sprinkle with nuts and leaves. 

 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen 
Photographs: Donna Lewis

Also read: 3 Great lunchbox snacks for your little ones