A weeknight pasta that turns sharpened provolone into a creamy sauce with the help of pasta water and sharp toasted breadcrumbs. This sharp cheese needs little else to make dinner tonight.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 710 calories a serving, 29 g protein, 80 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil for 6 oz pasta. While it heats, mince 2 cloves garlic. Grate 4 oz picante provolone.
2. Toast 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.3 min
3. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown.1 min
4. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until just tender. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.9 min
5. Pour 1/2 cup pasta water into the skillet with butter and garlic. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the grated cheese off heat until smooth and creamy, adding more pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
6. Toss the drained pasta with the cheese sauce. Divide between two bowls and top each with half the toasted breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper.

Note Swap the breadcrumbs for crushed almonds or walnuts for texture. Leftovers keep, covered, for three days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or roasted broccoli on the side.