A quick weeknight pasta built on a good tomato sauce with Parmesan already in it. The sauce is ready to go, so the whole meal comes together while water boils. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli to round it out.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 5 at the stove.

About 680 calories a serving, 20 g protein, 100 g carbohydrate, 21 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Set a large pot of water to boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. While the water comes up to a boil, minced 2 cloves of garlic and warm 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a wide skillet over medium heat.10 min
2. Add the minced garlic to the warm oil and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the entire jar of Margherita sauce into the skillet and stir to combine. Let it come to a simmer and keep warm while the pasta cooks.
3. When the water is rolling, add 8 ounces of pasta and cook according to package directions, stirring once after a minute. Drain the pasta in a colander and add it directly to the warm sauce.
4. Toss the pasta and sauce together gently until every strand is coated. Divide between two bowls and taste for salt and pepper. Adjust and serve at once.

Note To vary this, add 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella torn into pieces at the end, or stir in a handful of fresh spinach before serving. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for three days and reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables on the side.