Orzo

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was inspired by Aunt Gladys's beef, from Laurie Colwin (Gourmet, January 1992), and Nathalie Waag's leg of lamb with tomatoes and garlic (Gourmet, September 1986). The best chuck roasts for this recipe come from the supermarket—fancy butcher shops' meat is too lean and often becomes dry when cooked.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

A suitably named pasta salad that's loaded with flavorful ingredients. Try it with grilled veal chops or Cornish game hens.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Feta cheese, cucumber, tomato and fresh dell enliven this simple salad.

The rice-shaped pasta orzo is sometimes labeled riso or rosamarina.

Donna Knowlton of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "As the oldest of five children growing up in rural West Virginia, I was always helping in the kitchen. Today I mostly cook pasta and seafood dishes because they're so easy. My husband is a doctor and works long hours, but we still like sharing a meal at the end of the day. I don't want to be in the kitchen late at night making something complicated, so I rely on dishes that can be ready in minutes."

Suitable sides for the vegetables and pasta are grilled pita bread and assorted olives. End with baklava and fresh apricots.

Canned butternut squash purée (find it by the canned pumpkin!) makes this cozy, cold-weather recipe come together in a snap.