A bowl of warm noodles coated in a quick peanut sauce, built on that jar of Trader Joe's peanut butter waiting on your shelf. The sauce comes together in the time it takes water to boil, turning simple ingredients into something you want to eat right now.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 640 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate, 35 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. Trim 4 ounces of green beans and add them to the pot, then set a timer for 4 minutes. While they cook, mince 2 cloves garlic and whisk 3 tablespoons peanut butter with 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons hot water, and the garlic in a bowl until smooth.4 min
2. When the beans are tender-crisp, scoop them out into a colander and set aside. Add 6 ounces pasta to the same boiling water and cook until just tender, about 9 minutes, stirring once or twice.9 min
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Toss the hot pasta with 2 tablespoons oil in the pot, then add the peanut sauce and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, stirring until the sauce coats the noodles. Add the green beans back in, taste, and season with salt and pepper, adding more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
4. Divide between two bowls and serve warm.

Note Swap the green beans for broccoli, snap peas, or shredded cabbage. Leftovers keep in a covered container in the fridge for two days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with lime wedges and chopped scallions or cilantro on the side.