A weeknight sauce built on whipped cream cheese, which melts silky into a quick tomato base. The shelf keeps it simple, so you add canned tomatoes and fresh garlic for a dinner that tastes made from scratch in the time it takes pasta to cook.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 720 calories a serving, 26 g protein, 103 g carbohydrate, 23 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, then add 8 oz pasta and cook until al dente, stirring once. Start the sauce while the pasta cooks.
2. Mince 3 cloves garlic and warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, then cook the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often.
3. Pour one 14 oz can crushed tomatoes into the skillet and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.5 min
4. Cut 8 oz whipped cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the tomato sauce off the heat until melted and smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
5. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time if the sauce seems thick.

Note Swap the canned tomatoes for fresh if you have them, using 12 oz and cooking longer until soft. Leftovers hold for two days in the refrigerator. Serve with a simple green salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.