This shelf holds one great smoked sausage with built-in cheese and mushrooms, so dinner is just slicing and braising it with tomatoes and garlic. The cheese melts into the sauce and needs only a starch to soak it up.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 530 calories a serving, 65 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Cook 8 ounces of pasta in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain and set aside.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 1 pound of sausage into half-inch coins. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the sausage pieces. Sear until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total, then push to the side of the pan.5 min
3. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in 1 can of crushed tomatoes and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors marry, about 8 minutes. The cheese in the sausage will have melted into the sauce by now, making it rich and creamy.8 min
5. Toss the cooked pasta with the sausage and sauce, divide between two bowls, and serve hot.

Note Swap the crushed tomatoes for a jar of marinara if you prefer. The braised sausage keeps three days refrigerated and reheats well in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables on the side to balance the richness of the cheese and meat.