This is the quick route through a half-tin of tuna that turns into actual dinner. Pasta, garlic, tuna, and time is all you need, plus whatever is in the cupboard. The sauce comes together in the time the pasta takes to cook.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 5 at the stove.

About 550 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta, stirring once. While the pasta cooks, slice 3 cloves of garlic thin.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the garlic slices, stirring often until golden and fragrant, about two minutes.2 min
3. Drain the half-tin of tuna and add it to the pan with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and warming it through, about one minute.1 min
4. When the pasta is al dente, reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Add the pasta to the tuna pan along with 1/4 cup of the pasta water, tossing to coat and loosen with more water if needed.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste, divide between two bowls, and serve at once.

Note Swap the tuna for canned white beans if you prefer. Leftovers hold for two days in the fridge and warm gently with a splash of water. A side salad or a piece of bread rounds this out without fuss.

A quarter tin of tuna stretches across pasta with the simplest sauce of garlic and olive oil. This is the weeknight answer when you need to use up an open tin before it goes off, built on pasta that cooks while you get the sauce together.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 510 calories a serving, 11 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes; drain well.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.1 min
3. Drain and flake the quarter tin of tuna into the pan with the garlic oil. Stir gently to warm through, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
4. Toss the hot pasta with the tuna mixture until coated. Serve warm straight from the pan.

Note Swap canned white beans for the tuna if you need it to stretch further. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for one day and warm gently in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side.

Canned tuna and pasta come together in a quick tomato sauce, the sort of thing you reach for when the cupboard is nearly bare and time is short. Three spoonfuls goes further than you'd think when stirred through warm noodles and sauce.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 520 calories a serving, 19 g protein, 77 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in 6 oz of pasta, stirring once as it goes in. While the water heats, dice 1 small onion and mince 1 garlic clove.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, and cook until it softens and begins to brown at the edges, about 4 minutes, stirring now and then. Pour in one 14 oz can of canned tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon as they go in, and add the garlic.
3. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes. Once the pasta is tender, drain it and add it to the pan along with 3 spoonfuls of tuna, breaking up the fish gently as you stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper.6 min
4. Warm everything together over medium heat for 2 minutes, until the tuna is heated through and the pasta and sauce have begun to meld.2 min

Note Swap canned white beans for the tuna if that suits another night. Leftovers keep in a covered container in the fridge for three days; add a splash of water when you warm them. Serve with a green salad or a slice of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.