Rao's alfredo sauce is creamy and tangy enough to carry a whole dinner on its own. A handful of spinach wilts right into the pasta, and a crack of fresh pepper finishes it. This is what you make when you have next to nothing but time is shorter.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 830 calories a serving, 33 g protein, 117 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. While it heats, mince 2 garlic cloves and set aside.
2. Add 8 oz pasta to the boiling water and cook until one minute short of al dente, about 8 minutes for most shapes. Stir the pasta occasionally so it doesn't stick.8 min
3. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.1 min
4. Pour the entire jar of alfredo sauce into the skillet and stir to combine with the garlic butter. Heat gently over medium, stirring often, until it starts to steam; do not boil.3 min
5. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Add the pasta to the alfredo sauce along with 3 cups fresh spinach. Toss constantly for 2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the pasta finishes cooking in the residual heat.
6. If the sauce seems too thick, add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time until it reaches the consistency you like. Season with pepper to taste and divide between two bowls.

Note Swap the spinach for 1 cup of frozen peas stirred in at the end if that is what you have. Toss leftovers with a splash of pasta water to loosen before reheating gently on the stovetop. A green salad on the side brightens the richness of the cream.