A pantry dinner built on plant cream and pasta for two. The lentil base adds body to what would otherwise be thin; the cream turns canned tomatoes into something that coats the pasta and lingers on the tongue. Cook while you decompress from the day.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 1000 calories a serving, 20 g protein, 96 g carbohydrate, 60 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 and add 8 ounces of pasta. Cook until a minute shy of tender, stirring once, about 9 minutes; the pot stays on the heat while you begin the sauce.9 min
2. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is bright and the garlic fragrant but not brown, add one 14-ounce can of tomatoes with its juice, crushing them by hand into the pan as they go in.
3. Simmer the tomatoes for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, while the pasta finishes cooking. The tomatoes will darken and thicken slightly; this is the cue to pour in 1 cup of plant cream and stir.8 min
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of its starchy water. Add the drained pasta to the cream sauce and stir gently, splashing in a few tablespoons of pasta water if the sauce looks thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note To stretch this for four, double the sauce and add more pasta; the cream will hold it. Leftovers keep three days chilled and reheat in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread and a simple green salad on the side.