This cheese wants heat and starch; pasta with provolone and melted garlic is a weeknight answer. The cheese softens into a light sauce while the sharp flavour stays bold. It is fast and fills without fuss.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 920 calories a serving, 37 g protein, 87 g carbohydrate, 47 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 cook 8 ounces of pasta until it is just tender; drain and set aside, holding back 1 cup of the pasta water.12 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice 3 cloves of garlic thin and warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over low heat; add the garlic and let it soften without browning for 2 minutes, stirring once.3 min
3. Cut 6 ounces of provolone into half-inch cubes and add them to the pan with the warm garlic; pour in the drained pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then turn the heat to medium.
4. Stir the pasta and cheese together, adding more pasta water by the tablespoon if needed, until the cheese melts into a light coating that clings to each strand; this takes about 2 minutes.2 min
5. Tear a small handful of fresh parsley leaves, season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste, then scatter the parsley over the top and serve in two bowls.

Note Swap provolone for sharp cheddar if you like. Leftovers keep one day in the fridge and can be warmed gently with a splash of water stirred in. Serve with a simple green salad and bread to soak up the oil.