A slab of feta bakes until creamy in a quick tomato sauce while pasta cooks. This shelf asks for it: use the feta whole and let the oven do the work while you finish the meal.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 490 calories a serving, 19 g protein, 99 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat. From USDA figures for 71% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need quarter block feta, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 6 ounces pasta, half a medium onion, one 14-ounce can canned tomatoes.

1. Heat the oven to 375°F [190°C]. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small baking dish over medium heat on the stovetop, then add half a medium onion chopped fine and 2 cloves garlic minced; cook until soft, about three minutes.
2. Pour in one 14-ounce can of tomatoes and stir in 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt, and pepper; simmer for two minutes while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Nestle the quarter block of feta into the tomato sauce and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; transfer to the oven and bake until the feta is soft and the sauce bubbles around it, about twelve minutes.12 min
4. While the feta bakes, add 6 ounces of pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender, about nine minutes; drain and reserve.9 min
5. Divide the pasta between two bowls, top with the warm feta and sauce, and serve at once.

Note Swap the feta for a block of fresh mozzarella if you have it. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days; reheat gently. Serve with crusty bread to soak the sauce, or add a handful of greens to each bowl.

A sparse cupboard calls for pantry pasta, but feta crumbles are the star here, warming into creamy pockets among spinach and garlic. You have just enough for two bowls, and it takes the time it takes water to boil.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 470 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 71 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need handful of crumbles feta, 6 ounces pasta, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 3 ounces fresh spinach, 1 lemon.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta. While the water comes to a boil, mince 2 cloves of garlic.12 min
2. Warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and stir until fragrant, about one minute.1 min
3. Add a handful of fresh spinach to the warm oil, stirring until it wilts, then remove from heat.2 min
4. When the pasta is just tender, scoop out one cup of cooking water before draining the pasta into a colander. Pour the pasta into the spinach pan.
5. Toss the pasta gently with the spinach, then stir in the handful of feta crumbles and half a cup of cooking water, letting the residual heat soften the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, finishing with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Note Swap spinach for kale if that is what you have. Serve leftovers at room temperature as a salad; it keeps three days covered. Grate more lemon over the top or serve with crusty bread.

A quick dinner built around creamy feta that bakes into soft curds while eggs cook in the same pan. You'll use up the whole tub and have dinner in twenty minutes, start to finish.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 570 calories a serving, 28 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 47 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 8 oz [225 g] feta, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 4 eggs, 1 cup cherry tomatoes.

1. Heat your oven to 400°F [200°C]. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large cast-iron or sheet pan and warm it in the oven while you prep, about three minutes.3 min
2. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and halve about 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. Crumble the 8 ounces of feta into large, rough pieces over the hot pan.
3. Scatter the tomatoes and garlic around the feta, season lightly with salt and pepper, and return the pan to the oven for three minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.3 min
4. Crack 4 eggs into the pan in the gaps between feta and tomatoes, season the eggs with salt and pepper, and bake until the whites are set but the yolks still jiggle, about six minutes.6 min

Note Swap the tomatoes for olives or roasted red peppers if you have them. Leftovers keep a day in the fridge and reheat gently. Serve with bread to soak the runny yolks and warm feta.