A quick noodle bowl that turns half a jar of peanut butter into silky sauce. The earthiness of green beans anchors the richness, and hot pasta loosens everything into something deeply satisfying you can eat in under twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 1080 calories a serving, 19 g protein, 101 g carbohydrate, 69 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, then add 8 ounces pasta and cook until a few minutes short of tender. While the water comes to a boil, trim the green beans and cut them into 2-inch lengths.10 min
2. When the pasta has had four minutes, add the green beans to the boiling water and stir. Cook until both are tender, about four more minutes.4 min
3. While the pasta and beans finish, mince 2 cloves garlic and warm 2 tablespoons oil in a wide bowl over low heat (set it near the stove so you can use residual heat). Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.1 min
4. Take the bowl off the heat and add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, whisking until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed; you likely need more salt than you think.
5. Drain the pasta and beans into a colander, then add them to the sauce. Toss everything together, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the noodles loosely. Divide between two bowls and eat while the noodles are hot.

Note Swap the green beans for broccoli cut small, or use whatever vegetable you have that can cook in boiling water in five minutes. Keeps in the fridge for two days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Eat as is, or top with chopped scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil if you have it.

A quick supper that uses every spoonful of half-empty peanut butter. Toss hot pasta with a salty, nutty sauce, then finish with whatever greens wilt into it. This is the weeknight move when you want dinner in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 690 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 66 g carbohydrate, 42 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Start water for pasta in a large pot and salt it well; bring to a boil and cook the pasta until just tender, about ten minutes, while you work on the sauce.10 min
2. Mince 2 cloves garlic, then warm 2 tablespoons oil in a small pan over medium heat and cook the garlic until fragrant, about thirty seconds.
3. Whisk 4 tablespoons peanut butter with 3 tablespoons water and add it to the garlic oil, stirring until smooth and loose enough to coat pasta; taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water, and add it to the peanut sauce along with a splash of cooking water, stirring well to coat.
5. Pour in 3 ounces greens and fold them into the hot pasta until wilted, about two minutes, adding more cooking water if the sauce feels dry; taste again and adjust the seasoning.2 min

Note Swap greens for cabbage, frozen broccoli, or scallions. Leftovers keep for two days in the fridge and reheat with a splash of water. Serve with lime wedges if you have them, or offer hot sauce on the side to cut the richness.

Scraping the last of the peanut butter into warm noodles with greens and garlic turns a nearly empty jar into dinner. The peanut butter melts into a simple sauce without cream or stock, so every last bit counts.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 670 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 67 g carbohydrate, 40 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 6 ounces of pasta; stir and cook until two minutes shy of tender, about 8 minutes for most shapes.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 2 garlic cloves and warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl over the pot or in a small pan; stir the garlic into the oil for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Scoop 1 cup of pasta cooking water into the bowl with the garlic oil, then stir in 1/4 cup of peanut butter until it dissolves into the water.
4. Coarsely chop 4 ounces of leafy greens and drop them into the boiling pasta water; stir and cook for 1 minute until the greens wilt and the pasta is tender.1 min
5. Drain the pasta and greens, shaking off excess water, then tip them into the bowl with the peanut sauce and toss to coat evenly; taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Note Swap spinach for any tender green or shredded cabbage. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen. Serve with a squeeze of lime or a drizzle of hot sauce on the side.