A straightforward weeknight pasta built on a jar of chunky ragu that needs only pasta, butter, and cheese to become dinner. The sauce is already built; you just cook the noodles and finish it all together.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 600 calories a serving, 23 g protein, 89 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 8 ounces of pasta, stirring to separate the strands. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, pour the jar of ragu into a wide skillet and warm it over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until it steams at the edges, about 5 minutes.5 min
3. Add the drained pasta and 1 tablespoon of butter to the warm sauce, tossing to coat. If it seems dry, add 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water and toss again. Taste and season with pepper.2 min
4. Divide between two bowls and top each with 1 ounce of grated cheese.

Note Swap in penne or any short pasta shape. Leftovers keep three days in the refrigerator; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad on the side or call it a light stretch for three if you add another vegetable.