A warm plate of pasta dressed with melted provolone, garlic, and good oil: the cheese pulls into strands as it meets the heat. Tonight's provolone is mild and clean, so it becomes a silky sauce without fuss, with a little pasta water to finish it.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 920 calories a serving, 37 g protein, 88 g carbohydrate, 47 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 8 ounces of pasta; cook until it bends easily but still has resistance at the core, about 9 minutes.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 6 ounces of provolone into thin pieces and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
3. Warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until it smells sweet and turns pale, about 1 minute.2 min
4. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the garlic oil; toss gently.
5. Remove from heat and add the provolone slices, stirring with a wooden spoon until the cheese softens and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes; add splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to keep it loose.
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then serve at once into two bowls.

Note Swap the provolone for any mild melting cheese. Leftovers keep in the fridge for one day but taste best reheated gently in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a bitter green salad and bread to soak the oil.