8 easy dishes from Michelin-starred chefs when you're cooking for one

Ryan Ratino, the owner and chef of Bresca in Washington, DC, told Insider that he loves making lamb chops when he's the only one sitting at the dinner table. When I cook for myself, I cook with intention, he said. And I tend to go for easy but flavor-rich dishes like lamb chops, which cook quite quickly. Ratino recommends throwing your lamb chops on the stove and panfrying them for a few minutes on each side. First, I tenderize the meat with a simple marinade made with fresh herbs, and maybe a bit of spice, he said. Then I heat a nonstick pan or skillet, cook the lamb chops, and add a cup of vegetables that can be cooked with the residual fat — giving them an extra kick of flavor. It's the perfect dinner for one. Cacio e pepe is the most basic of pasta dishes, Emett told Insider. But, when made correctly, it is sensational. Traditionally, it's just pasta — generally spaghetti — grated pecorino, and crushed black pepper. The flavor combination is amazing. The New Zealand chef recommends adding a little butter if you want your pasta to be extra creamy, but hold off on the salt. Pecorino is a salty cheese, so not a lot of extra salt is needed, he said. And if all you have in the fridge is parmesan, that is perfectly acceptable as well. Meehan, the owner and chef of Kali Restaurant in Los Angeles, always has homemade pasta in the freezer for whenever he wants to make a quick cacio e pepe dinner. I eat a lot of pasta, so I make my own spaghetti, he told Insider. You can make it and curl it up in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware, I have that all the time in my freezer. It's simple, quick, and makes perfect spaghetti. It's super good, I can eat my body weight in it, Meehan said. And it's super cheap too — eating homemade sushi is much more affordable. To make the sushi rice, Meehan sprinkles in rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and salt to his white rice and gently folds it in. Then put it back in a little Tupperware to keep the heat in so the rice stays warm, he said. Meehan then takes out big squares of nori paper and turns on his stove to toast them over the fire real fast. A quick wave and it crisps up the nori and gives it a nice shine, he added.Meehan folds the nori sheets in half, turning the big squares into rectangles. He then prepares the filling, often adding salmon, tuna, avocado, and cucumbers. Slice the raw fish as best as you can and put it on a platter, he said. Then julienne some cucumbers, some avocado, some radish, some tuna, and mix it up with a little mayonnaise and Sriracha. If you don't have easy access to sushi-grade raw fish, Meehan recommends using smoked salmon or fake crab meat. Making the rolls is a simple process. Lay out your nori paper and smear a little rice on the bottom, Meehan said. Then, just add your mixture of fish and veggies and it's ready to go. Shim, the chef at Cote in Manhattan, told Insider that he loves pairing kimchi with Spam. Personally, the easiest thing to make for myself is some sort of fried rice, he said. And Spam with kimchi fried rice is one of the best things ever. It's a classic in Korean bar cuisine. And the dish is super easy and quick. Cube up the Spam, sauté it and color it a bit, then add your kimchi and cook it down a bit, Shim said. Add some garlic, add some rice, and stir fry it until all the flavors are mixed. If you want to add a fried egg on top, that's also great. But all you really need are three ingredients. Rice, kimchi, Spam, and you're pretty much ready to go.Ram-don — which pairs instant ramen with premium cuts of beef — was inspired by jjapaguri, a Korean dish that combines two popular instant ramen brands. The dish is made with Chapagetti (spaghetti noodles in a black soybean paste) and Neoguri (udon noodles in a spicy seafood broth). In Parasite, the instant noodles are topped with Hanwoo beef — one of the most rare and expensive meats in the world — to symbolize the film's central theme of class conflict.Cote created its own version of ram-don to celebrate the movie, and now Shim loves making it for himself as well. Ram-don is such an easy dish to make at home, he said. You can add any protein you like. Or, you don't have to add any protein at all! As long as you have the two types of ramen, you can make it in less than 10 minutes for lunch, dinner, or even late at night.If you're going to take the time to prepare it, why not get more than one meal out of it? DeSteno, the corporate executive chef at Altamarea Group (which includes the Michelin-starred NYC restaurant Marea), told Insider. Soup, tomato sauce, pulled pork, and braised meats are all great examples because they can be packed into small portions and frozen, which is cheaper and healthier than ordering out. Plus, you can repurpose these leftovers into exciting new dishes. For example, pulled pork makes a great 'taco-style' salad, DeSteno said. All you need is some lettuce, refried beans, salad, shredded cheese, sour cream or yogurt, and — of course — the pulled pork. It's quick to throw together, and delicious! What's perfect about this dish is that it can be made with all kinds of impromptu revisions, Gresham, who runs Acquerello in San Francisco, told Insider. Gresham's most recent anything-on-a-taco was made with a leftover portion of beef short ribs. I completed it with potatoes and carrots, the pico de gallo has cucumbers, the crema is really non-fat Greek yogurt — you get the idea! she said. And you can't go wrong with a few slices of fresh avocado on top. The California chef told Insider that she loves pairing raw fish with shisho and Meyer lemon, along with sake, of course. Gresham is also fond of making mezze plates of hummus, green chili chutney, and red pepper spread. It's supreme single dining, she said. Usually accompanied by opening a can of imported dolmas! Read more:7 easy one-pot meals from Michelin-starred chefs for when you don't want to do the dishes10 easy dishes Michelin-star chefs like to cook at home when they're not at workMichelin-starred chefs share 8 delicious breakfast dishes everyone should know how to makeI had Valentine's Day dinner with my reflection in the name of self-love, and it made me realize I need to be kinder to myself

8 easy dishes from Michelin-starred chefs when you're cooking for one

You can whip up a great plate of lamb chops in just a few minutes.

Chefs Josh Emett and Kevin Meehan both swear by cacio e pepe when they're dining solo.

Meehan also loves making handmade sushi rolls when he's eating alone.

When NYC chef David Shim is just cooking for one, he often turns to Spam with kimchi fried rice.

Shim has also enjoyed making ram-don, a dish that Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho featured in his film "Parasite."

When chef Lauren DeSteno is just cooking for herself, she loves to whip up meals that can be frozen for later.

If Suzette Gresham is dining solo, the California chef loves making what she calls "anything-on-a-taco."

And who says cooking alone has to involve much cooking at all? Gresham also loves whipping up simple plates that don't require any stove time.