Cream cheese melts into a silky sauce that coats pasta in minutes. This shelf holds only one ingredient, so you'll build tonight's dinner from what you keep on hand: pasta, garlic, oil, and whatever dried herbs suit your mood.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 740 calories a serving, 22 g protein, 93 g carbohydrate, 31 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 cook 8 oz pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.10 min
2. Meanwhile, mince 3 cloves garlic and warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the garlic until it softens and turns golden, about 2 minutes.2 min
3. Add 6 oz cream cheese to the skillet and stir constantly until it melts into the oil and garlic, about 1 minute; add 1 teaspoon dried oregano and season with salt and pepper.1 min
4. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet and add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water; stir everything together over medium heat until the sauce coats the pasta, about 1 minute, adding more pasta water if it seems dry.1 min

Note Swap dried oregano for thyme, basil, or Italian seasoning. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread or a side salad.