A ready-made pesto jar becomes dinner in under twenty minutes. Toss it with hot pasta, add butter to loosen the cream, and finish with a squeeze of lemon. The shelf does the work while you rest.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 5 at the stove.

About 790 calories a serving, 19 g protein, 92 g carbohydrate, 39 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 cook 8 ounces of pasta until tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.12 min
2. Warm 1 cup of the pesto in the empty pot over low heat, stirring gently, while the pasta cooks. Add 2 tablespoons butter and thin the sauce with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it coats the noodles loosely.2 min
3. Toss the hot pasta with the pesto and butter, adding more pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper, squeeze half a lemon over the bowl, and serve.

Note Swap the butter for a glug of good olive oil if you prefer. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread and a simple green salad.