A cream cheese spread meant for crackers becomes a sauce when thinned with pasta water and butter, clinging to noodles with the vegetables already worked in. This is a fast, quiet dinner for two on a weeknight, ready in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 770 calories a serving, 24 g protein, 93 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 container (8 oz [227 g]) garden vegetable cream cheese spread, 8 oz [227 g] pasta, for pasta water and to taste salt, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves, sliced thin garlic.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop in 8 oz pasta; stir once so it doesn't stick. Cook until the water tastes good and the pasta is just tender, about ten minutes, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water before you drain.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, set a large skillet over medium heat and drop in 2 tablespoons butter and 2 sliced cloves of garlic. Stir until the garlic softens and smells sharp, about two minutes. Scrape in all the cream cheese spread, breaking it apart with a spoon until it starts to melt.2 min
3. Tip the drained pasta into the skillet along with 1 cup of the pasta water and stir steadily over medium heat until the spread turns into a silky sauce that coats every noodle, about three minutes. Add salt and a pinch of pepper to taste; if the sauce is too thick, splash in more pasta water by the spoonful.3 min

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Note Swap the pasta for rice, stirring it into the butter first, then adding 2 cups of broth or water instead of pasta water. Leftovers keep cold for two days and reheat gently in a covered pot with a splash of water. Serve with a side salad or steamed broccoli to stretch the meal.