Sliced pepperoni crisps in the pan while pasta cooks, then tosses with garlic oil and a scatter of the meat for a fast weeknight meal. The shelf gives you everything you need for a salty, satisfying dinner that comes together in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 610 calories a serving, 23 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate, 28 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 6 ounces of pasta, stirring once. While the water returns to a boil, slice 4 ounces of turkey pepperoni into thin coins and mince 3 cloves of garlic.10 min
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepperoni slices and cook, stirring often, until the edges crisp and the fat renders, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pepperoni with a slotted spoon to a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pan.3 min
3. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic to the fat, and cook, stirring, until pale gold, about 1 minute. Watch the timer on the pasta; when it has 2 minutes left, add the garlic oil to a large bowl.1 min
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with the garlic oil, adding splashes of the cooking water as needed to coat and loosen it. Season with salt and pepper to taste, fold in most of the crisped pepperoni, and divide between two bowls. Top each with the remaining pepperoni.

Note Swap the pepperoni for diced if you prefer it mixed through rather than crisped on top. Leftovers hold in the fridge for one day and are best reheated gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad dressed in lemon if you have it, or eat as is.