The Classic Canned Soup You Should Be Using As A Hearty, High-Protein Pasta Sauce

Pasta is one of the easiest, most straightforward meals to prepare if you're using the boxed version. Boil water, cook the pasta, add it to some sauce, and you're done. But instead of choosing a typical jarred sauce from the pasta aisle that you've had a million times already, try pairing your pasta with a high-protein canned soup like beef stew. Surprisingly, canned soup can make a great pasta sauce.

There are a few beef stew-style canned soups on the market, including Dinty Moore's beef stew sold at Target (which we ranked first in our taste test), and Campbell's beef with country vegetables, which is part of the brand's Chunky line. While the exact protein content will vary depending on which canned soup you use, the Dinty Moore version has 10 grams per serving, and the Campbell's Chunky version has seven grams per serving.

The easiest way to put this dish together is to heat the soup while the pasta cooks, then drain the noodles and add the two together. If the stew-style soup is a little thick, you can thin it out with some starchy pasta water. It's a meal that's ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

While the stew and pasta are all you need for a hearty meal, there are other ways you can squeeze in a little extra protein and add even more flavor. To boost the protein content further, you can create a creamy pasta with plain Greek yogurt. To prevent the Greek yogurt from curdling, remove the pasta and stew from the heat and let the dish cool for a few minutes before stirring in some room-temperature yogurt. You can do the same with cottage cheese, but blend it to remove the chunks first for the best texture.

Take a look in your pantry for some seasonings to enhance the pasta dish, too. While you won't need extra salt because canned soup has plenty of it, add a little black pepper or crushed red pepper for a hint of heat, plus some garlic powder and dried herbs. You can even top the pasta with some freshly-grated parmesan and chopped herbs for a final touch and nice presentation.