A quick weeknight pasta that lets the smoky heat of chipotle cream cheese shine, stretched with broccoli and finished with garlic and olive oil. This shelf holds one ingredient and it does all the heavy lifting, so the rest is just vegetables and pasta.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 640 calories a serving, 24 g protein, 97 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat the oven to 425°F [220°C] and start boiling salted water for pasta. Cut 1 head of broccoli into florets, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt, spread on a sheet, and roast until the edges char, about 15 to 18 minutes.
2. While the broccoli roasts and water heats, cook 8 oz pasta in the boiling water until just shy of tender, about 2 minutes less than the package says; reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.
3. Mince 3 garlic cloves and warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.1 min
4. Cut 6 oz chipotle cream cheese into chunks, add it to the skillet, and stir as it melts, adding 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to make a smooth sauce; the cheese will pull together after about 2 minutes of stirring.2 min
5. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, then add more pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce tightens; season with salt and pepper.
6. Fold in the roasted broccoli and serve right away with pepper at the table.

Note Swap the broccoli for spinach wilted into the sauce or roasted cherry tomatoes. Leftovers keep refrigerated for two days; loosen with a splash of water when you reheat. A squeeze of fresh lime brightens the heat.