Whipped cream cheese melts into a silky sauce with garlic and wilted spinach, clinging to pasta in minutes. This shelf gives you one good ingredient to build around, so we lean on pantry staples to make it dinner.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 930 calories a serving, 34 g protein, 100 g carbohydrate, 44 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 boil and cook 8 oz pasta to al dente, about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 3 cloves garlic thin and warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic turns golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.2 min
3. Add 5 oz fresh spinach in handfuls, stirring until wilted and any liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.3 min
4. Scoop out 1 cup pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta, then add it to the skillet with the spinach. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in 8 oz cream cheese in spoonfuls, stirring constantly and adding pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes.2 min
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and grate 2 oz parmesan over each.

Note Swap spinach for chopped kale or zucchini ribbons. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread to stretch the meal.