A quick pan supper built on whatever olives linger at the bottom of the jar. The salt and brine they carry do most of the seasoning work while you scramble eggs into a silky bed. Supper in fifteen minutes.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 230 calories a serving, 17 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Chop the handful of olives and mince 2 cloves garlic. Crack 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk with a pinch of salt and pepper until no streaks remain.
2. Set a skillet over medium heat and warm 2 tablespoons olive oil until it shimmers. Scatter the minced garlic into the oil and cook until fragrant, about one minute, stirring once.1 min
3. Pour the eggs into the skillet and let them sit for ten seconds, then push a spatula across the bottom slowly, folding the cooked bits over the raw. Do this often but without rushing; when curds are barely set but still creamy in places, remove the pan from heat. This takes about two minutes.2 min
4. Scatter the chopped olives over the eggs, fold gently once or twice, and slide onto plates. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve right away.

Note Swap drained capers for the olives if you have them. Leftovers keep in the fridge for one day but are better fresh. Serve with a slice of bread and a simple salad of greens.

Half a jar of brined olives becomes a bright, salty sauce when mashed with garlic and tossed with hot pasta. This is the kind of quick supper that turns pantry basics into something that tastes considered. Serve with bread to soak up the oil.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1170 calories a serving, 74 g protein, 93 g carbohydrate, 55 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in 8 ounces of pasta. Cook until tender and drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 3 garlic cloves and pit 1 cup of olives if needed. Place the olives in a mortar or small bowl and crush them roughly with a fork or pestle.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Tear in 4 anchovy fillets and stir until they dissolve into the oil.
4. Add the crushed olives to the skillet and stir to coat with oil. Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a gentle simmer.3 min
5. Tip the drained pasta into the skillet and toss to coat, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and serve at once.

Note Swap the anchovies for a squeeze of lemon if you prefer. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and taste good cold. Serve with crusty bread or a simple salad of bitter greens.

A briny, punchy pasta that comes together in the time it takes water to boil. This shelf has almost nothing, so we're building entirely on olives, their salt and funk carry the whole dish, stretched with pasta and sharpened with garlic and a few anchovies.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 790 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 93 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz pasta until tender. While it cooks, pit half a small bowl of olives and chop them roughly. Slice 3 garlic cloves thin.
2. Warm 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it smells sweet, about 1 minute, then add 4 anchovies from the tin, breaking them up with a wooden spoon until they dissolve into the oil, about 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the chopped olives and let them warm through while the pasta finishes.2 min
4. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water. Pour the pasta into the skillet with the olives and toss, adding splashes of pasta water until the dish is silky and comes together, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, squeeze in the lemon juice to brighten it.

Note Swap the anchovies for a tablespoon of capers if you prefer. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and taste even better the next day, though the pasta will have absorbed the oil; thin it with water or broth when you reheat it. Serve alone or with a green salad and the remaining lemon cut into wedges.