Named after a fellow-student, this got me and many other people through University in the early 'nineties. It's hilariously simple, and can be really cheap depending on the exact ingredients used. You can make this even if you're scared of saucepans. Instructions:
1) Boil pasta (approx. one largish cupful of shapes per person). Remember that the instructions on the packet are usually a bit optimistic on how quickly the confounded stuff cooks. Use whatever's cheapest.
2) At the same time, in a separate pan, fry an onion (or spring onions and/or garlic: again go for what's cheap) until soft ("soft" is not a technical term: when it stops being crispy, it's "soft"); then add and heat up a mix of the following depending on what's cheapest and what you can face:
i. chopped tinned tomatoes (it's usually cheaper to buy 'em whole and chop them yourself unless you're too lazy to use a knife); or baked beans if you want something more filling albeit less piquant.
ii. some manifestation of tinned fish: ideally tuna which is currently nicely cheap in "basics" tins, but whatever oily fish is on offer will suffice as long as it's not salmon which is too mild for the job. Want a vegetarian version? Don't ask me: I'm a carnivore.
iii. sweetcorn
iv. whatever else by way of tinned or pre-cooked veg is cheap and filling (remember those fuel bills and don't use too many pans boiling extra veg)
v. a Good Pinch of Italian herb mix (as much as you can possibly get between one thumb and two fingers)
3) Heat the mix until piping hot. Don't be afraid to mush the tomatoes against the side of the pan with a fork if the mix is too lumpy.
4) Serve.
Do it for yourself first time out to see how much sauce you get out of the mix; freeze leftovers for another night. When you've done it once, you'll have an idea how much to make if you have guests. It's not gourmet eating, but it certainly assuages the hunger.
Edited 3 times. Last edited at 12:14 on 28 Jan 2009