Frozen Italian meatballs dressed with quick tomato sauce and tossed with pasta make a weeknight dinner that tastes like care. The fennel seed in the meatballs carries the anise note you'd expect, and the sauce comes together while the pasta cooks.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 870 calories a serving, 48 g protein, 102 g carbohydrate, 31 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil for pasta. Set a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, and when it shimmers, add the meatballs. Turn them as they brown on all sides, about 6 minutes; they need not be cooked through.6 min
2. While the meatballs brown, mince 3 cloves garlic. Once the meatballs are browned, push them to the side and add the garlic to the oil. Stir once and pour in one 28 oz can of tomatoes with their juice, breaking them with a wooden spoon.
3. Drop the pasta into boiling water and set a timer for the package time. Stir the sauce once, then let it simmer and bubble gently as the pasta cooks. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.12 min
4. When the pasta is tender, drain it and add it to the skillet with the sauce and meatballs. Toss once and divide between two bowls.

Note Serve with grated cheese at the table if you wish. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge; reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat. To stretch this for a third person, add more pasta and a splash of water to the sauce.