Tangy pickles become a bright, salty sauce for pasta when they're chopped fine and tossed with fried onion, garlic, and a raw egg that cooks in the heat. This is a weeknight trick that turns a handful of leftover pickles into dinner for two.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 700 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 91 g carbohydrate, 27 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 cook 8 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes. While the water heats, chop 1 handful of pickle spears fine and set aside.
2. Slice 1 medium onion thin. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring often, until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Stir the chopped pickles into the pan and cook 1 minute to warm through. Pour in 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water to loosen the pickles into a sauce.
4. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, whisk lightly, and pour into the pan off heat while stirring constantly so the eggs scramble into fine threads. Drain the pasta and toss it into the pan with the sauce. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.

Note Swap the eggs for a splash of cream if you prefer. This keeps in the fridge for a day or two; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a cold beer or sharp salad on the side.

Pickles half are the star here, their funky brine cutting through rich eggs and rice. This is what you cook when you have one strange vegetable and want dinner on the table in twenty minutes. Tart, savory, and completely practical.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 610 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 80 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Cook 1 cup of rice if you have not already. While the rice cooks, slice 3 to 4 slices of pickles half into thin wedges and mince 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic.15 min
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is golden and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring now and then.3 min
3. Add the cooked rice to the skillet along with the pickles half wedges and toss until everything is warm and mixed together, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.2 min
4. Push the rice to the sides of the skillet, leaving a well in the center. Crack 4 eggs into the well and let them cook undisturbed until the whites are set but the yolks still jiggle, about 3 minutes.3 min
5. Stir the eggs gently into the rice and pickles half until the yolks break and coat everything with a thin veil. Cook for 30 seconds more and serve straight from the skillet.1 min

Note Swap the eggs for 4 ounces of any cooked meat if you have it. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and reheat well in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a cold beer or hot tea.

Briny pickle juice becomes a bright pan sauce when you deglaze with it, turning halibut into something you actually want to eat on a tired night. Half a jar of pickles is the whole point here.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 210 calories a serving, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Pat the halibut dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper on both sides, then dust lightly with 2 tablespoons flour. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers.
2. Lay the halibut skin-side up in the pan and cook for 4 minutes without moving, until the underside is golden and crisp. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes, then transfer to a plate.6 min
3. Pour out all but a thin film of oil from the pan, add 1 tablespoon butter, then add 1 cup of pickles (chopped or whole, as you like) and the pickle brine. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Simmer for 3 minutes while the sauce reduces and the pickles warm through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Return the fish to the pan for 1 minute to coat it in the sauce, then serve both fillets with all the sauce spooned over.4 min

Note Swap halibut for cod, sea bass, or whatever white fish is on sale. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with rice or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.