A quick weeknight dinner where mild store-bought meatballs meet a bright tomato sauce, built in one pot with pasta. The meatballs cook in minutes and won't dry out, leaving you time to make a simple sauce alongside.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1620 calories a serving, 99 g protein, 138 g carbohydrate, 80 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, place 8 meatballs in the pan without crowding and brown them on all sides until deep golden, about 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a plate.8 min
2. Add 1 diced medium onion to the same pot and cook until softened and just golden, about 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.3 min
3. Pour in one 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Return the meatballs to the pot and simmer while you cook the pasta.
4. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil, add 6 ounces pasta, and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.10 min
5. When the meatballs have simmered for 5 minutes, add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss to combine. If the sauce seems thick, add more pasta water a splash at a time. Simmer together for 1 minute.1 min
6. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Divide between two bowls, tear some fresh basil over the top, and serve.

Note Swap frozen spinach for the basil if you like. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for three days and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad on the side or grated cheese if you have it.