Almond milk swapped in for cream makes a sauce that tastes like it took hours to build. The garlic and pasta water do the heavy lifting here, turning a shelf staple into something that feels like a weeknight splurge.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 470 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 72 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until one minute short of tender, about 8 minutes for standard dried pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 4 cloves of garlic. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about one minute.1 min
3. Pour 1.5 cups of almondmilk into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Add the cooked pasta and stir in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Simmer until the sauce coats the pasta lightly, about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to reach your preferred consistency.5 min
4. Finish with the juice of half a lemon, a large pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then divide between two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap almondmilk for oat or soy milk if you have it. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or roasted vegetables on the side to stretch the meal.