A jar of mushroom sauce is a shortcut to dinner, needing only pasta and a protein to round out the plate. Stir an egg into the hot sauce to thicken it and add richness, then toss with pasta for a light, one-pan meal.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 690 calories a serving, 26 g protein, 90 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes; drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic and warm the jar of mushroom sauce in a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic, stirring often, about 3 minutes.3 min
3. Crack 1 egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork, then turn the heat to low and slowly add the beaten egg to the sauce while stirring constantly, moving the pan off the heat if it bubbles hard.1 min
4. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the noodles without pooling, about 2 minutes.2 min
5. Grate 2 ounces of parmesan over the pasta, season with pepper to taste, and serve at once.

Note Swap a small onion, minced fine and cooked in the butter until soft, for the garlic if you prefer. Leftovers keep for two days in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or roasted greens and crusty bread.