A shelf soup becomes dinner with frozen broccoli and pasta water, ready in twenty minutes. This is the weeknight move: let the cream base do the work, finish with heat and texture.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 700 calories a serving, 24 g protein, 130 g carbohydrate, 9 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. Add 8 ounces of pasta and cook until one minute before the package says it is done; you will finish it in the soup.
2. While pasta cooks, pour the can of soup into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 8 ounces of frozen broccoli florets and stir often until they thaw and warm through, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water when the pasta is nearly soft. Drain the pasta and add it to the broccoli and soup, then pour in 1 cup of pasta water to loosen the cream and cook the pasta the rest of the way.
4. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is soft and the broth thickens again. Taste and add salt and pepper, then stir in 1 tablespoon of butter until it melts.2 min

Note Swap frozen broccoli for mushrooms or spinach if you have them. Leftovers keep three days covered and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.