30 Minutes or Less

Spaghetti a Cacio e Pepe This is the simplest and one of the tastiest pasta dishes in the Roman repertoire, served at home and at every trattoria offering cucina romana or cucina povera (poor folks' cooking).... The trick to making this recipe work is to dilute the cheese and pepper with 1 tablespoon of pasta water per serving, and to amalgamate the ingredients in the pot the pasta water was boiled in, a technique called mantecare, meaning to mix and meld.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the market, or use leftovers to keep the preparation easy.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Passion Fruit Tart. This pastry is ideal for making custard and fruit tarts. It can be made in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for a week. It also freezes well. The recipe yields one 28 cm (10-inch) tart case or several smaller ones.

This simple soup, known as zuppa Sarda, is eaten year-round all over Sardinia.

A quick-to-make vinaigrette that's great tossed with greens and poured over steamed vegetables or orange slices. Present it in an antique glass cruet.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Rather than making herbs part of a green salad, why not make these fresh, flavorful greens the salad. The idea comes from Paris chef Alain Passard, who years ago served me an all-tarragon salad at his Left Bank restaurant, Arpège. When tarragon is fresh in the market or your garden overflows with this extraordinarily powerful herb, why not serve it with honor as a salad on its own? Years later Passard expanded what I call "the tarragon tangle" to a full-scale mixed herb salad—just a few well-dressed bites on a small salad plate—as an accompaniment. The idea really is to mix and match judiciously. Just don't use so many herbs that they lose their personality. Good combinations include parsley, mint, and tarragon. Or consider an all-mint salad to accompany grilled lamb, an all-tarragon salad to accompany grilled chicken, a sage-heavy salad to accompany roast pork. Other herbs that can be added to the following salad mix include a very judicious addition of hyssop, sage, chervil, and marjoram. Just be sure to include leaves only—no cheating—leaving all stems behind!

Garnish with grapefruit, orange and lime segments if you like.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Instead of ordering Thai takeout, whip up this easy classic. Serve with: Steamed jasmine rice and a cucumber and snow pea salad. Dessert: Sliced tropical fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, and mango.

The pasta and sauce cook simultaneously (so two cooks can divide and conquer), for a total of about ten minutes, start to finish. Serve with your best bottle of bubbly.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min