Ranch dressing becomes a silky sauce here, coating tender pasta and whatever protein you have on hand. This is the fastest way to use up that half-empty bottle before it turns, and it tastes far better than you'd expect from three pantry staples.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1410 calories a serving, 68 g protein, 104 g carbohydrate, 79 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup ranch dressing, 8 ounces pasta, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 12 ounces boneless chicken thighs or breasts, 1 cup frozen peas.

1. Start water for pasta in a large pot with a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil while you work. Cube 12 ounces of chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mince 2 garlic cloves and add them to the pan in the last minute.8 min
3. Add 1 cup ranch dressing and 1 cup frozen peas to the chicken, stir well, and warm through over low heat, about 2 minutes, while the pasta finishes cooking. Do not let it boil.2 min
4. Drop 8 ounces of pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the ranch sauce, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve at once.10 min

Note Swap chicken for shrimp or canned tuna if you prefer. Leftovers keep three days covered in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or crusty bread.

A weeknight sauce that starts with ranch half and cream, finished with chicken and pasta. The quarter cup of ranch is the foundation here, stretched with butter and a splash of milk into something that coats noodles and poached chicken the way you want on a tired night.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 990 calories a serving, 75 g protein, 69 g carbohydrate, 44 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1/4 cup ranch half, 6 ounces pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 clove garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 small breasts, about 10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1/4 cup milk.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta; stir and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. While the pasta cooks, place 2 small chicken breasts in a shallow skillet with enough cold water to cover them by an inch and a pinch of salt.
2. Set the chicken over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium and poach the chicken until cooked through, about 12 minutes. While the chicken poaches, mince 1 clove of garlic and set it aside.12 min
3. When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a cutting board and let it cool for a minute, then slice it into bite-sized pieces. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the now-empty pasta pot over medium heat and add the minced garlic, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the 1/4 cup of ranch half and the 1/4 cup of milk, then whisk until smooth.
5. Add the sliced chicken and drained pasta to the sauce, then toss to coat, adding splashes of the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce to a light, clingy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then serve right away.

Note Swap chicken for diced ham or smoked turkey if you have it. Leftovers keep three days covered in the fridge and reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side.

Ranch half-and-half makes a quick cream sauce that coats pasta and chicken in one pan. This is the night to finish that bottle before it turns, and it needs nothing but what's in the cupboard to become dinner.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 770 calories a serving, 53 g protein, 75 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons ranch half, 6 ounces pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 12 ounces chicken breast, 1 cup frozen peas.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta; cook until al dente, about 9 minutes, then drain and set aside.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, cut one 12-ounce chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and pat dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, then add the chicken and cook until golden on the outside and cooked through, about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through.8 min
3. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the skillet with the cooked chicken, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the 3 tablespoons of ranch half-and-half and 1 cup of frozen peas, then stir until the sauce is warm and the peas are heated through, about 2 minutes.2 min
4. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the ranch sauce and chicken, tossing gently to coat everything evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, divide between two bowls, and serve at once.

Note Swap chicken for shrimp or crumbled ground turkey if you prefer. Leftovers keep refrigerated for two days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad or steamed broccoli on the side.