Linguine

Curry dishes are usually served over rice, but pasta is a delicious change.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

A simple dish from the Cottage Inn, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Spicy Szechuan dishes were quite the thing in the seventies; around that time, pasta was also coming into its own. This recipe features ingredients that are widely available in the Asian foods section of most markets. If you like, add snow peas and sliced red bell pepper for some crunch.

Though Rose Pascale always uses fresh octopus (sold as pulpo in many Latino markets), we found that it's generally sold frozen. You may need to special-order or reserve octopus from your local fish market several days ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

From Il Pastaio, Beverly Hills, California.

Here's a simple and versatile pesto: It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and a spoonful of it enhances everything from soup to chili. Add three cups of diced cooked chicken to the pasta to make a satisfying main course that serves four.

Look for dried wild mushrooms at most supermarkets; they lend a wonderful richness to this dish, which is great with garlic bread. Begin with a colorful salad of escarole and roasted red bell peppers, and finish with a winter fruit salad of sliced bananas and kiwi, fresh pineapple chunks and red grapes.

On a weekday, accompany this main course with breadsticks and marinated vegetables from the deli. Wrap up with grapes and cookies. For a festive occasion, start with an antipasto of olives and roasted vegetables, then serve an arugula, radicchio and toasted walnut salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. Finish with an Italian fruit crostata.

A quick yet elegant pasta dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The juices from the clams combine with spicy Asian flavors to make a great pasta sauce.

Serve this as a side dish, or add some cooked shrimp or chicken for a main course. Look for the sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

For a nice picnic, pack up this salad (chill it well first), some bread and wine.