A quarter jar of tomato sauce stretches into a proper dinner with pasta, garlic, and a fillet of anchovy that dissolves into the sauce without a trace. Cacio e pepe meets marinara in this weeknight fix.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 800 calories a serving, 39 g protein, 95 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it well. While it heats, slice 3 cloves of garlic thin and warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2. Cook the garlic in the oil until it just turns light gold, about 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Add 1 anchovy fillet and stir until it melts into the oil, about 30 seconds.2 min
3. Pour in the quarter jar of tomato sauce and a pinch of pepper. Let it bubble gently, stirring once or twice, while you cook the pasta. Drop 8 oz of pasta into the boiling water and cook to just tender.8 min
4. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Toss it into the tomato sauce and add a splash of cooking water, about 3 tablespoons, so the sauce coats each strand.
5. Grate 2 oz of Pecorino Romano and stir half of it into the pasta. Divide between two bowls and top each with the rest of the cheese and another turn of pepper.

Note Swap the anchovy for a teaspoon of soy sauce if you prefer. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and warm gently with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, or make a side salad of raw greens with lemon and oil.

This is the quickest way to put that half can of tomato sauce to work, with garlic and oil to build the sauce as pasta cooks. A tired weeknight solution that honours what you have on hand.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 460 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 69 g carbohydrate, 16 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 add 6 oz pasta, stirring to separate; cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.9 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 3 garlic cloves thin and warm 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.1 min
3. Stir in the half can of tomato sauce, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and let it simmer gently while the pasta finishes.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then add it to the sauce and toss gently, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce looks dry.

Note Swap the pasta for rice or polenta if you have it. Leftovers keep two days in the fridge; reheat with a splash of water. Serve with grated cheese if you have it, or eat as is with bread to soak the sauce.

Three spoonfuls of tomato sauce becomes dinner when you stretch it with butter and garlic into a silky sauce that coats pasta. This is weeknight cooking at its most stripped down: you are using up what's left and making something good from almost nothing.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 450 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 72 g carbohydrate, 13 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 add 6 ounces of pasta, stirring once. Cook until it is tender at the bite, then drain it in a colander, saving 1 cup of the cooking water.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 2 cloves of garlic thin. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic slices, stirring now and then until they soften and smell sweet, about 2 minutes.2 min
3. Add the 3 spoonfuls of tomato sauce to the skillet with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, stirring to combine. Let it bubble gently for 1 minute.1 min
4. Pour the drained pasta into the skillet and toss it with the sauce, adding more pasta water by the spoonful if it looks dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and serve right away.

Note The starch from the pasta water thickens the sauce, so don't throw it all away. Leftovers keep in the fridge for three days and can be warmed gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Grate cheese over the top if you have it, or serve with a simple green salad to make it feel more like a meal.