A weeknight dinner built on what you have: marinara sauce stretched with pasta water, studded with garlic and wilted greens. Tonight is about using up that half jar and getting dinner on the table in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 460 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 67 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need half a jar marinara, 6 ounces pasta, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 3 ounces fresh spinach or other tender greens.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes. Reserve a cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.9 min
2. While the pasta cooks, warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Slice 3 cloves of garlic thin and add them to the oil, stirring until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Watch the heat so the garlic does not brown.1 min
3. Pour the half jar of marinara into the skillet and stir. Let it come to a gentle simmer, then add the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together.2 min
4. Add 3 ounces of fresh spinach or other tender greens to the pan and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper, adding more pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Serve warm.1 min

Note Swap spinach for any tender greens; kale will need two extra minutes to soften. Leftovers keep refrigerated in a container for three days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread if you have them on hand.

When there is half a jar of marinara left, pasta with soft eggs is the move. This is what a tired weeknight cook does with one pan and what sits in the cupboard.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 500 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 74 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup marinara, 6 oz pasta, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 cloves, minced garlic, 2 eggs.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 oz pasta until two minutes shy of tender, stirring now and then.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, warm 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 minced garlic cloves, and stir for thirty seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour in the 1 cup marinara and stir to heat through, about two minutes; taste and season with salt and pepper.2 min
4. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup pasta water, and stir it into the sauce.
5. Make two small wells in the pasta and crack one egg into each, then cover and cook until the whites are set but the yolks run, about three minutes.3 min
6. If the sauce is thick, stir in a splash of pasta water to loosen it, then slide onto two bowls and eat at once.

Note Swap canned tomatoes and tomato paste for marinara if the jar is empty. Leftovers keep three days covered in the cold. Finish with fresh basil or grated cheese, or serve with a green salad to stretch it.

When the marinara jar is nearly empty, steep garlic in hot oil, toss the last sauce with pasta, and finish with a handful of cheese and herbs. This is how the last scoop becomes dinner for two.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 790 calories a serving, 25 g protein, 100 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup marinara, 8 ounces pasta, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 ounces Parmesan, small bunch fresh basil.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the water comes to a boil, slice 4 garlic cloves thin.10 min
2. Pour 3 tablespoons oil into a small skillet over medium-low heat and add the garlic slices, stirring until they turn golden and smell fragrant, about 3 minutes. Watch so they don't burn; when they're pale gold and the oil is fragrant, remove from heat.3 min
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and return it to the pot. Add the marinara and all the garlic oil to the drained pasta, then add 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce into a light coat.
4. Divide between two bowls and top each with freshly grated Parmesan and torn fresh basil. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Note Swap the basil for fresh parsley if that's what you have. Leftovers keep two days cold, or warm gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or roasted vegetables to stretch the meal.