A weeknight pasta built on one good jar of sauce and simple fresh pasta shapes. The roasted garlic and cremini mushrooms are already there; you add a beaten egg and cheese to make something that tastes homemade and takes twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 1070 calories a serving, 47 g protein, 200 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil, then salt generously. Add 8 oz pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, stirring occasionally.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, whisk together 1 large egg with 2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese, 1 minced clove garlic, and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
3. Pour the 23.5 oz jar of Prego sauce into a skillet over low heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and warm through until the sauce is steaming, two to three minutes.3 min
4. Scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the warm sauce while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon; the residual heat will cook the egg into a silky coating. If the sauce seems thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
5. Add the hot drained pasta to the sauce and toss until every strand is coated, adding more pasta water by the tablespoon if needed to reach a glossy consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and serve right away.

Note Swap the egg for 2 tablespoons heavy cream if you prefer. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to two days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or bitter greens on the side.