A pantry pasta where Hellmann's mayonnaise becomes a silky, lemony sauce. The emulsion holds in the heat, coating every strand with richness and subtle tang. It sounds odd until you taste it.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 510 calories a serving, 16 g protein, 91 g carbohydrate, 10 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 drop in 8 ounces of pasta; stir once and cook until just shy of tender, about 2 minutes less than the box says. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
2. While the pasta cooks, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over low heat, add the garlic, and let it turn fragrant and light gold, about 2 minutes, stirring often so it does not catch.2 min
3. Scoop 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water into a bowl, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
4. Take the skillet off heat and let it cool for 1 minute, then whisk in 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth. Add the hot pasta and toss well, then pour in a splash of the pasta water, a few tablespoons at first, tossing and loosening the sauce until it coats the noodles without looking wet. Season with salt and pepper.

Note Swap the mayonnaise for any thick, room-temperature emulsion if you have it. Leftovers will thicken as they cool; stir in a splash of water and warm gently, stirring often. Serve with any raw vegetable or bitter green salad on the side.