Almond butter whisked into a warm, savory sauce that coats pasta and wilts whatever greens you have. This is how you finish that half jar and get dinner on the table in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 930 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 89 g carbohydrate, 57 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook 8 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes; reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic and warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk 1/2 cup of almond butter with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and black pepper until smooth and pourable; pour into the pan with the garlic and stir constantly over low heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.2 min
4. Toss the drained pasta into the sauce, add 4 ounces of fresh greens, and toss until the greens wilt, about 1 minute; add more cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

Note Swap the soy sauce for miso if you prefer deeper umami, whisking it in with the almond butter. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for two days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve as is or top with a fried egg.

A pantry dinner built on those last spoonfuls of almond butter, thinned into a warm sauce and tossed with pasta and whatever greens will go. Nothing fancy, just dinner.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 660 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 67 g carbohydrate, 38 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 10 minutes. While it cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic and warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.10 min
2. When the garlic is fragrant, stir 4 tablespoons of almond butter into the pan along with 1/2 cup hot pasta cooking water, whisking until smooth. Add 4 cups of fresh greens and stir until they wilt, about 2 minutes.2 min
3. Drain the pasta and toss it into the almond butter sauce. Toss well to coat, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note Swap fresh greens for frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry, or use shredded cabbage. Leftovers keep three days covered in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with lemon wedges or a sharp vinegar to cut the richness.

This is a fast, creamy noodle dish built on the thick, grainy almond butter sediment at the bottom of the jar, which gives it body and depth. It's the kind of thing you make on a weeknight when you need dinner in twenty minutes, and it stretches two servings into a full, satisfying meal.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 890 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 69 g carbohydrate, 64 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Mince 2 cloves garlic and put them in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of the thick almond butter from the bottom of the jar, 2 tablespoons of warm water, and the juice of half the lemon. Whisk until you have a loose, pourable sauce, adding more warm water if needed.
2. Cook 6 ounces of pasta in the boiling water until just shy of tender, about one minute less than the package says, as it will finish in the sauce. While it cooks, warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over medium heat.10 min
3. Add 4 ounces of tender greens to the warm oil and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then transfer the pasta to the pan with the greens.2 min
4. Pour the almond butter sauce over the pasta and greens, then toss over medium heat, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water to keep everything moving and silky, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.3 min

Note Swap tender greens for blanched broccoli or shredded cabbage if greens are not at hand. Leftover sauce keeps refrigerated for four days and works on roasted vegetables or as a dip. Serve with crusty bread to soak the sauce, or top with a fried egg for stretch.