The cocktail sauce on this shrimp platter is tangy and bold enough to dress pasta, so we build a quick weeknight dinner around it. Toss warm pasta with the shrimp and sauce, add a hit of garlic and butter, and you have dinner in the time it takes water to boil.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 410 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 64 g carbohydrate, 8 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 6 ounces of pasta until just tender, stirring once halfway through, about 9 minutes; while the pasta cooks, mince 1 clove of garlic.9 min
2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water, then return it to the pot off heat.
3. Stir the cooked shrimp from the platter into the hot pasta along with all the cocktail sauce, 1 tablespoon butter, and the minced garlic; if the sauce seems thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it, then taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Note Swap the pasta for rice if that suits your pantry better. Leftovers hold in the fridge for one day and can be reheated gently in a pan with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side to round out the plate.