Pasta

Linguine with Walnut Sauce The texture of mixed nuts and bread crumbs makes this an ethereal pasta. When the noodles are cooked and then dressed just right, they taste great even at room temperature.

Steaming couscous may be a bit more time-consuming than the usual boiling method, but we feel the results are well worth it. Steaming makes the grains fluffier and much more tender. You'll need a bowl-shaped steamer, such as a basket steamer, or you could set a metal sieve into the saucepan.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Find the dried mushrooms in the produce section of the supermarket. Breadsticks and a radicchio salad with crumbled goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette round out the meal. End with poached apricots and honey cookies.

A colorful, fresh-tasting dish that comes together in minutes. Serve this with a mixed green salad and some bread.

I find that littlenecks or tiny cockles are the best shellfish for this dish, because they are delicate. Tarragon complements them, as does parsley or dill.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Editors note: This recipe was written in 1991, before Southeast Asian ingredients were widely available. For a more authentic take on the dish, substitute rice noodles for the capellini or thin spaghetti. (To cook: Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then drain the noodles, and boil in salted water until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again.) You can also replace the dried hot red pepper flakes with an equal amount of sambal oelek, and use 1 1/2 tablespoons (or more to taste) fish sauce in place of the soy sauce and anchovy paste. Also: Feel free to use flank or skirt steak in place of the shell steak, adjusting the cooking time as necessary.

Offer this simple, hearty dish with a green salad, crusty garlic bread and a light red wine, like Beaujolais.

A bagged lettuce mix with "Mediterranean" greens would go nicely here when tossed with red wine vinaigrette and served with ciabatta bread. End with pears and a plate of bittersweet chocolate-nut toffee.

Warm pita bread would make a delicious accompaniment to this dish.

Grilled zucchini adds extra flavor and texture to this light and pretty main course.

Full-flavored and hearty, this classic pasta dish with bacon and tomato sauce is always a hit. Top it with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.

Noodles enriched with the deep golden yolks of farm-raised chickens were a frequent starch on heartland tables. Modern cooks may not have the time to put together noodles from scratch, but when glossed with a Swedish-style, caraway-scented butter, even commercial pasta makes a fine accompaniment to the menu's main dish.