A loose, fresh ricotta sauce coats the pasta with almost no effort—the kind of dinner you can have on the table in the time it takes water to boil. This shelf holds one good ingredient, so garlic, lemon, and herbs do most of the work.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 820 calories a serving, 25 g protein, 99 g carbohydrate, 37 g fat. From USDA figures for 71% 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.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 minced garlic cloves, and cook until the garlic turns pale, about a minute. Pour the ricotta into the pan with a splash of the pasta water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a grind of pepper, stirring to loosen it; it should coat like soft curds, not sit in a pool.
3. When the pasta is ready, scoop it straight into the ricotta sauce with tongs, reserving the water. Toss gently, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce flows but still clings, about 30 seconds.
4. Divide between two bowls, grate lemon zest over the top, tear fresh parsley or basil across, squeeze lemon juice over all, and serve right away.

Note If you have grated cheese, a hard one like Parmesan works well scattered on top. Leftovers do not reheat well, so plan to finish it. Serve with a green salad or roasted vegetables if you want something on the side.