A quick weeknight pasta that turns a jarred roasted garlic dip into a silky sauce, built with pasta water and seasoned with lemon. The dip dissolves into the starch and fat to coat every strand, turning what seems like a shortcut into something substantial.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 480 calories a serving, 22 g protein, 97 g carbohydrate, 4 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, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic and warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring the garlic until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.
3. Stir 1/2 cup of the roasted garlic dip into the warm oil until smooth, then pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring constantly until you have a loose sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with 2 cups of fresh greens, tossing everything together over medium heat until the greens wilt, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.2 min
5. Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over the pasta and toss once more. Divide between two bowls and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Note Swap any tender greens for the spinach, or skip them and serve with crusty bread to soak the sauce. Leftovers keep two days refrigerated and reheat gently with a splash of water. A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette balances the richness of the dip.