A simple pasta that lets half a lemon shine, its juice and zest brightening plain oil and garlic into something supple and bright. This is how you use up what's left when the lemon is nearly gone.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 610 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 85 g carbohydrate, 23 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 8 oz pasta; stir and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes, while you prepare the sauce.9 min
2. Mince 2 garlic cloves fine. Zest the half lemon with a microplane, then cut it in half and juice both pieces; you should have about 1 tablespoon of juice. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium heat until it shimmers, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the garlic oil, then add the lemon juice and zest and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste, and thin with a splash of pasta water if the sauce seems dry. Serve hot.

Note Swap dried chili flakes or red pepper for black pepper if you like heat. Leftovers keep in the fridge for one day; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli.

Two lemons cut into thin slices cook down into soft, yielding strands that cling to pasta like a light, warm sauce. You'll cook the lemon right into the pasta water, then finish it all in one pan with garlic and oil. A shelf bare except for lemons means we lean on staples tonight.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 540 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 74 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and salt it well. While the water heats, quarter 2 lemons lengthwise, then slice them into half-moons about a quarter inch thick, removing any seeds as you go.
2. Add 6 ounces of pasta to the boiling water and cook for two minutes less than the box says. When the pasta is almost tender, add the lemon slices and stir, letting them soften in the hot water for the remaining cooking time.10 min
3. Meanwhile, slice 3 cloves of garlic thin. Warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns pale gold and smells sharp, about two minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Drain the pasta and lemons, reserving one cup of the cooking water. Tip them into the skillet with the garlic oil and toss, adding a splash of the cooking water if needed so everything moves together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Note The lemon slices soften entirely and become part of the dish, not a garnish. Leftovers keep three days covered in the fridge and taste fine cold or reheated gently in a pan with a touch of water. Serve with bread to wipe the plate.

A quarter lemon goes a long way in this bracing pasta where the fruit itself is the dish. Tonight you are using up what sits in the crisper with three staples and heat, ready in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 520 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot and add 6 oz pasta. Stir and set a timer for two minutes under package time.
2. Meanwhile, slice 3 garlic cloves thin. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wide pan over medium, add the garlic, and cook until golden at the edges, about one minute.
3. Grate the zest from the quarter lemon into the oil, then halve the lemon and squeeze the juice through your fingers to catch seeds. Stir and remove from heat.
4. When pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain. Add the pasta to the oil, toss, and loosen with 2 tablespoons pasta water. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Note Swap the quarter lemon for lime if you have it. Leftovers keep in a sealed container for two days and taste fine cold or reheated gently in a pan with a splash of water. Serve with a bitter green salad and crusty bread to sop the oil.