What can you cook on a camping stove?

Food tastes better outdoors. The cold air, the smell of the stove and the fact that you carried everything there yourself turn a pot of pasta into a feast. A camping stove is basically one gas ring and a lot of goodwill, so the trick is choosing dishes that suit one ring: one pot, few steps, short cooking, little washing up.

Safety first

Before the menu, the rule that matters most. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is clear: do not use stoves or barbecues inside your tent or caravan, and place them well away from the tent, because tents catch fire easily. Its guidance also warns that barbecues give off poisonous carbon monoxide for hours after cooking. Cook outside, on a flat, stable surface, sheltered from the wind but in the open air. Follow the campsite's rules, and the instructions that came with your stove.

One-pot pasta

The camping classic, and it works better than it sounds. Put the pasta in the pot with just enough cold water to cover it, a pinch of salt and a slug of olive oil. Bring it to the boil and stir often, adding small splashes of water if it looks dry. By the time the pasta is tender, the water has turned into a starchy, glossy liquid. Stir in what you have:

• Tinned tomatoes, garlic and chilli for a simple sugo.
• Pesto from a jar, with grated hard cheese.
• Cherry tomatoes and a handful of rocket at the end.
• Butter, black pepper and Parmesan, cacio e pepe in spirit, if not in purity.

Small shapes cook fastest and use the least gas: orzo, ditalini, small macaroni. The method is the same as cooking pasta in less water at home.

Eggs

A small non-stick pan is worth its weight. Scrambled eggs, a fried egg on bread, a frittata cooked slowly with a lid on. Eggs cooked in a pan of tomatoes and peppers, shakshuka-style, make a proper dinner with bread to mop up.

Beans

Tinned beans are made for camping: already cooked, they just need warming and seasoning. Warm a little oil with garlic and rosemary, add drained beans and a splash of their liquid or some tinned tomatoes, and simmer until thick. Eat with bread, or with crumbled cheese on top. More ideas in tinned beans that taste like you meant it.

Couscous and other quick grains

Couscous only needs boiling water. Pour it over, cover, wait, fork it up with oil, salt and lemon. Add tinned chickpeas, chopped vegetables, herbs and feta for a camping salad. Bulgur, instant polenta and quick-cook noodles work the same way.

Polenta

Instant polenta cooks quickly in boiling water; follow the packet and keep stirring. Finish with butter and cheese and top it with beans, mushrooms or a fried egg.

The tiny camping pantry

Decant into small, leak-proof containers:

• Olive oil in a small bottle with a good lid.
• Salt and pepper, in a little twin shaker.
• A spice or two: chilli flakes, dried oregano, smoked paprika.
• A hard cheese, such as Parmesan or pecorino, which travels well wrapped.
• Garlic, an onion, a lemon.
• Tins: beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, sweetcorn.
• Dry goods: small pasta, couscous, instant polenta, oats.
• Something sweet: chocolate, biscuits, dried fruit.

Perishable foods need to stay cold. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping them in a cool box or bag with ice or frozen gel packs, spread through the box rather than all at the bottom, kept closed and in the shade. Plan to eat fresh things early in the trip and rely on tins and dry goods later.

Washing up with little water

Wash your hands before cooking and eating; where there is no running water, the FSA suggests sanitising wipes or gel. For the pots:

• Wipe first. Scrape and wipe out pans with kitchen paper or a scrap of bread before any water touches them.
• Use the campsite's washing-up area where there is one, and follow its rules for disposing of waste water.
• Use a small amount of hot water with a drop of biodegradable washing-up liquid, washing the cleanest items first.
• Pack out your rubbish, including food scraps.