A weeknight pasta built around a good jarred sauce that needs nothing but pasta and a protein to shine. The caramelized onions and roasted garlic do the heavy lifting while you cook. Dinner in thirty minutes.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 810 calories a serving, 39 g protein, 94 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon salt, then drop in 8 oz of pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on shape; drain and set aside.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, warm 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble in 6 oz of ground beef or Italian sausage, and cook, stirring often, until no pink remains, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Add 1 minced garlic clove to the meat, stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then pour in the full jar of sauce and stir to combine; let it bubble gently for 2 minutes.2 min
4. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet with the sauce and meat, stir to coat, and taste for salt and pepper, adding more if needed.
5. Divide the pasta between two bowls and shave 1 oz of Parmesan cheese over each serving.

Note Swap the meat for white beans or lentils to make it vegetarian. Leftovers keep refrigerated for three days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.