A straightforward pasta built on a jar of mushroom and olive sauce that does the heavy lifting for you. This is what to make when you want dinner fast and the jar promises better than the sum of its parts.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 430 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 85 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 8 oz pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, pour the entire jar of mushroom and olive sauce into a skillet set over medium heat. Warm gently, stirring once, until it just begins to steam, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Toss the hot pasta into the sauce with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir constantly until the sauce coats each strand, about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if the sauce seems thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.2 min

Note Swap the pasta for rice if you prefer. Leftovers keep two days refrigerated and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a bitter green salad and crusty bread to stretch the meal and cut the richness.