Pesto swallows a half jar to coat warm pasta and roasted chickpeas, saving you a tiny spoon tomorrow. The herb sauce stretches far when heated gently with pasta water and a touch of butter, and the chickpeas turn crisp and nutty in the oven while you boil the water.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 1210 calories a serving, 27 g protein, 106 g carbohydrate, 76 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup [240 ml] pesto, 1 can canned chickpeas, for pasta water salt, pinch pepper, 8 oz [225 g] pasta, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 lemon.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Drain and pat dry the chickpeas from one can, toss them with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and spread on a sheet pan. Roast until golden and beginning to split, about 15 minutes.15 min
2. When the pan goes in, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add 8 oz pasta and cook until tender, about 2 minutes before the package says, then reserve 1 cup [240 ml] pasta water before draining.
3. Return the hot pasta to the pot. Stir in 1 cup pesto and 1 tablespoon butter over low heat, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen it into a silky sauce that coats each strand; stop when it feels right. Taste and adjust salt.
4. Divide the pasta between two bowls and top each with half the roasted chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon.

Note Swap the chickpeas for pine nuts or walnuts toasted in a dry pan if you have them. Leftover pesto keeps in the fridge for a week; use it on roasted vegetables, in sandwiches, or stirred into yogurt. A simple green salad or roasted broccoli is all this needs.

Pesto is the whole meal here: it coats pasta and binds roasted chicken into something rich and complete. This shelf holds barely anything, so a bare fridge calls for a quick pantry rescue with just three tablespoons of pesto doing the heavy lifting.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 660 calories a serving, 52 g protein, 71 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons pesto, 6 ounces pasta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 12 ounces chicken breast, 1 lemon.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Pat one 12-ounce chicken breast dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin-side down in the hot oil and let it brown without moving for 5 minutes, then flip and cook skin-side up for another 8 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F [74°C] in the thickest part. Transfer to a plate.13 min
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Drain the pasta into a bowl, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
3. While the chicken cooks, stir 3 tablespoons pesto with 2 tablespoons pasta water and the minced garlic in a small bowl until you have a loose sauce.
4. Slice the rested chicken and toss it with the pasta and pesto sauce in the bowl, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until the coating feels light and clingy. Halve a lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta, tasting and adjusting salt as needed.

Note Swap the chicken for canned tuna stirred in after cooking, if you prefer. Leftovers keep two days covered in the fridge and are good cold or reheated gently. Serve with lemon wedges and a simple green salad if you have greens.

A half-empty jar of pesto becomes a rich sauce for pasta when you stretch it with butter and garlic. This is the weeknight answer to using up small jars you can't throw away, with nothing to buy if you stock pasta at home.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 630 calories a serving, 16 g protein, 86 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 67% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons pesto, 8 ounces pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 clove garlic, as needed salt, as needed pepper.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 8 ounces of pasta, stirring once. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 1 clove of garlic and place it in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of pesto, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. When the pasta is done, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with the pesto. Toss well, adding cooking water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta and flows.

Note Swap any pasta shape you have. Leftovers keep, tightly covered, for two days in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or roasted vegetables on the side.