10 of the Best Jamie Oliver Recipes

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Pesto Crostini is one of our favorite recipes by British chef Jamie Oliver.

British chef Jamie Oliver oversees a culinary empire that has included cooking shows (starting with his hugely popular series The Naked Chef), best-selling cookbooks, multiple outposts of his restaurants Fifteen and Jamie's Italian, and a YouTube channel called Food Tube. He's a passionate advocate for healthier eating, and encourages home cooks to whip up high-quality meals by offering fun, easy, inventive and delicious recipes. Here are a few of our favorites.

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1. Banana Pancakes

Digging into a plate of warm pancakes is the best way to kick off a lazy weekend morning. This version involves pan-caramelized banana slices draped over fluffy pancakes. Oliver suggests serving them with crème fraîche for a touch of tang to balance the sweetness.

Per serving: 238 calories, 4g saturated fat, 38g carbohydrates, 7g protein, 2g fiber, 227mg sodium

2. Pesto Crostini

While there are plenty of delicious and high-quality packaged pesto sauces available, it's remarkably easy and satisfying to make your own (especially in summer, when there's plenty of fresh basil around). You can adjust the amount of garlic to suit your taste, and spread the pesto on crusty ciabatta for an easy appetizer.

Per serving: 353 calories, 4g saturated fat, 31g carbohydrates, 12g protein, 2g fiber, 777mg sodium

3. The Chopped Salad Family

Salads are often relegated to side-dish status, but these chopped-salad recipes make it the main attraction. Almost anything can find its way into a chopped salad, including fruits, proteins, herbs and cheeses.

Per serving: 370 calories, 5g saturated fat, 14g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 9g fiber, 125mg sodium

4. Lemon Linguine

This simple dish is perfect for when you want something tasty but the pantry is nearly empty. A box of linguine, some lemons, Parmesan, basil and greens are all you need to whip up a beautiful and flavorful pasta supper — or serve it alongside chicken or fish for a heartier meal.

Per serving: 484 calories, 5g saturated fat, 59g carbohydrates, 17g protein, 3g fiber, 585mg sodium

5. Spicy Roasted Squash

Bacon is the chef's not-so-secret ingredient in this unique dish; roasting carmelizes the butternut squash to sweet perfection.

Per serving: 129 calories, 1g saturated fat, 19g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 4g fiber, 511mg sodium

Next page: 5 more great recipes from Jamie Oliver. »

6. Hot Tuna Salad

Tuna steaks are a wonderful source of protein, and serving them as Oliver suggests — seared atop a bed of asparagus or green beans, with cherry tomatoes and basil — is colorful and elegant.

Per serving: 367 calories, 5g saturated fat, 5g carbohydrates, 41g protein, 2g fiber, 642mg sodium

7. Meatballs and Pasta

Fresh rosemary flavors the meatballs and red chili adds a bit of a kick to Oliver's sauce. Making the meatballs small ensures that they cook more thoroughly and get distributed evenly through the pasta.

Per serving: 596 calories, 6g saturated fat, 68g carbohydrates, 27g protein, 5g fiber, 177mg sodium

8. Chicken Salad

Oliver takes this comforting lunch classic up a notch, poaching chicken with peppercorns and bay leaves, then adding cumin seeds and toasted almonds. Rather than using all mayonnaise for the dressing, this healthier version includes yogurt as well.

Per serving: 305 calories, 3g saturated fat, 8g carbohydrates, 31g protein, 2g fiber, 166mg sodium

9. Cod, Potato and Spring Onion Stew

This Icelandic- and Danish-inspired creamy stew is just right for late winter and the beginning of spring. Oliver suggests substituting hake, bass or halibut for cod if you like.

Per serving: 513 calories, 4g saturated fat, 45g carbohydrates, 40g protein, 6g fiber, 604mg sodium

10. Pukka Pineapple With Bashed-Up Mint Sugar

Fruit for dessert is anything but boring in this recipe, which is impressive to put together at the table by combining fresh mint and sugar with a mortar and pestle, then sprinkling it over thinly sliced pineapple.

Per serving: 164 calories, 0g saturated fat, 43g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 4g fiber, 4mg sodium

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