Half a punnet of cherry tomatoes becomes a quick, concentrated sauce that clings to pasta when you blister them hard in the pan. A midweek dinner that tastes richer than the time it takes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 410 calories a serving, 14 g protein, 80 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need half punnet [about 150 g] cherry tomatoes, 200 g pasta, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 200 g pasta; stir and cook until two minutes before al dente.
2. Meanwhile, halve about 150 g cherry tomatoes and mince 3 cloves garlic. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and scatter in the tomatoes cut-side down; leave them alone until they blister and blacken on the bottom, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of its water, and tip it into the pan with the tomatoes.
4. Add 3/4 cup pasta water and toss everything together over medium heat, letting the starch thicken the tomato juices into a loose sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.2 min

Note Swap the cherry tomatoes for halved larger ones if needed. Keeps in the fridge for two days; add water to loosen when reheating. Finish with grated Parmesan or pecorino and torn basil if you have it.

Three large tomatoes become a quick pan sauce while pasta cooks, perfumed with garlic and dried oregano. This is the weeknight way to use up tomatoes before they go soft, and dinner comes together in the time it takes water to boil.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 650 calories a serving, 17 g protein, 94 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 large [about 1.5 pounds] tomatoes, 8 ounces pasta, 3 tablespoons oil, 3 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, .

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 8 ounces of pasta. Stir once and set a timer for the package directions.12 min
2. While the water heats, core and quarter 3 large tomatoes, then chop them coarse. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly, then add the chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
4. Simmer the tomatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon as they soften, until the sauce is thick and chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.10 min
5. When the pasta is tender, reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain and add to the pan with the tomato sauce. Toss to coat, adding a splash of cooking water if the sauce seems thick.

Note Swap fresh basil for oregano if you have it, tearing it into the finished pasta. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for three days and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water. Serve with grated cheese and a green salad on the side, or stretch it further by stirring in a can of white beans.

Half a tin of canned tomatoes becomes a loose, bright sauce for spaghetti, finished with a raw egg stirred in at the end. This is the quickest use for that open tin, and your supper in under twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 18 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 600 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 90 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need half tin canned tomatoes, 8 oz [225 g] pasta, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 eggs, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper.

1. Set water on high heat and bring to a boil for pasta. While it heats, dice 1 medium onion and mince 2 cloves garlic. Cook them in 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until the onion softens, about four minutes.4 min
2. Add the half tin of canned tomatoes to the skillet, breaking them up as they fall in, and simmer while you salt the boiling water and drop in 8 oz pasta.
3. Let the tomato sauce bubble gently for eight minutes, stirring now and then, until the pasta is al dente.8 min
4. Fish out one strand of pasta and taste it to check doneness, then drain the pasta well and tip it into the sauce. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, beat it lightly, then take the skillet off heat. Stir the egg into the hot pasta and sauce quickly, coating everything and letting the egg cook in the residual heat, about thirty seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note Swap the egg for a scattering of grated cheese if you have it. Leftovers keep refrigerated for two days and are good cold or reheated gently. Serve with a bitter green salad or garlic bread on the side.