Michelin-star chefs share 7 of their favorite 30-minute meals to make at home

David Shim, the chef at Cote in Manhattan, told Insider that he loves making this garlic pasta dish when he's at home and just needs to "get a quick meal in."

"I personally really enjoy making this because it's so simple, you can get it done in 15 minutes," he told Insider. "It's one of those meals that doesn't take a lot of prep time, and I'm sure everyone has garlic and olive oil at home."

All you need for the dish is some spaghetti, olive oil, red pepper flakes, parsley, and garlic cloves. Plus cheese, of course.

And the recipe requires just a few quick steps. While the spaghetti is cooking, sauté the garlic in olive oil in a separate pan "so that you brown it and get all the aromatics out," Shim said.

"Add a little bit of chili flakes and reserve just a bit of pasta water to add to your pan," he continued. "Then add the cheese and toss the pasta in it."

"One thing I always, always never run out of is instant ramen," Shim said.

The NYC chef is a huge fan of Shin Ramyun, a South Korean ramen brand that can be purchased at grocery stores across the US.

"The Shin ramen, for me that's the base," Shim said. "And I make different variations of it. Sometimes, if I have miso paste, I'll add miso paste to the ramen. If I have frozen dumplings, I can put in frozen dumplings."

"It's definitely filling and you can do so much with it," he added. "It's a great vehicle to make your dish into anything you want."

New Zealand chef Josh Emett told Insider that he has loved making okonomiyaki for his family while in quarantine.

"You can pretty much put any vegetable in this dish, so it's a great way to clean out your fridge of leftover vegetables," he said. "It's also very cost-effective, and so simple to put together."

The batter just needs flour, eggs, and sparkling water to thin it all down, plus some garlic, ginger, and chili flakes for flavor. Emett also recommends adding a touch of cornflour throughout the mixture, which he said ensures that the pancake becomes "nice and crispy on the outside."

Then, well, it's up to you! Emett always includes cabbage in his okonomiyaki, and recently made one with chopped prawns, onions, and carrots.

This savory pancake is simple, delicious and a great way to use up anything you have lurking in your vege drawer. 1

A post shared by J O S H E M E T T (@joshemett) on Apr 15, 2020 at 10:35pm PDTApr 15, 2020 at 10:35pm PDT

"Some other delicious variations are to add egg noodles or a layer of cheese, so good!" he said. "The options are endless. I sometimes make mine all vegetables and have them as a side dish."

Top off your pancakes with Japanese mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce. If you don't have the latter on hand — or the time to make your own homemade version — Emett recommends using barbecue sauce as an alternative.

"If you have bonito flakes, add these too," he said. "You will see them visibly dance in the steam."

Kevin Meehan, the owner and chef of Kali Restaurant in Los Angeles, loves whipping up this dish with his own homemade kimchi.

While his rice is steaming, Meehan takes his eggs and scrambles them on the side — "almost like a crepe" — to add at the very end.

"I don't like to add raw egg to a fried rice dish because it's a different texture," he told Insider. "I like a big bowl of mush. I'll sauté my egg and whip it up with some soy sauce, mix it up a little bit, and dice it up."

Meehan also sautés his onions and carrots on the side while his rice is getting "super crispy" in a separate pan.

He mixes everything together at the end, topping it off with the kimchi, soy sauce, chopped egg, and a little lime juice.

"I like to grill," he said. "I have a little grill in my backyard and I like to be outside and I like the smell of the smoke."

Meehan marinates the chicken thighs with garlic and chopped onions before skewering them. And while the chicken thighs are grilling, he'll cook up some rice to serve with the yakitori.

"I use a rice cooker like everyone else," he said. "But sometimes I throw some chopped garlic and ginger in there, so when the rice comes out it's really flavorful."

"Things that I can roast on a sheet pan are my favorite for 30-minute meals," Lauren DeSteno, the corporate executive chef at Altamarea Group (which includes the Michelin-starred NYC restaurant Marea), told Insider.

DeSteno often roasts a small chicken with broccolini — "it's delicious roasted, and so easy" — along with diced potatoes.

"All of these can be roasted in the same oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and make a simple, delicious meal," she said. "And you can serve basic salad on the side to round it out and brighten it up."

Suzette Gresham, who runs Acquerello in San Francisco, loves making this simple dish when she needs dinner in a flash.

Gresham recently made a risotto with spring onions, sherry sautéd mushrooms, and robiola cheese while in quarantine. She told Insider that the secret to any easy risotto is to "picture three key flavors."

"Don't be afraid to stay simple and let the flavors sing," she said. "And add minimal amounts of butter and cheese — if even needed — to finish."

Gresham believes that "any and all veggies" work great in risottos, "especially leftovers." Her other favorite flavor combinations include: tomato, basil, and cheese; wine, cheese, and herbs; and seafood with saffron.

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