A quick cheese sauce built from what you have: shredded cheddar blended with cream cheese powder into something rich and clinging to hot pasta. The shelf does the heavy lifting tonight, leaving you time to breathe.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 810 calories a serving, 27 g protein, 100 g carbohydrate, 34 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 pasta; cook until a minute shy of tender, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.10 min
2. While pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over it, and whisk until the roux smells nutty and turns pale gold, about 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup whole milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.5 min
3. Take the saucepan off heat and stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese with cream cheese, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water if the sauce tightens up. Divide between two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap the milk for half milk and half reserved pasta water if you want a thinner sauce. Leftovers keep in an airtight container for three days; reheat gently with a splash of milk. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side.