When the weather is hot, I stay away from dishes that take a long time to prepare. I turn instead to uncooked pasta sauces. The kitchen stays cool and so do you.

If you have some good dried pasta and a piece of grating cheese, turn these humble ingredients into a feast. Simply add a decent grinding of black pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a shower of grated Pecorino Romano to cooked pasta, and you have dinner.

On summer days I halve cherry tomatoes (see YouTube for an easy slicing tip), add a coarsely chopped bunch of basil, a few garlic cloves (grated on a Microplane), and mix it all with extra virgin olive oil.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it, toss it with the tomato mixture and add crumbled goat cheese. The hot pasta melts the cheese into a creamy sauce, and the basil and garlic add zest. Sometimes, instead of goat cheese, I use cubes of mozzarella.

Most uncooked sauces should be at room temperature before blending with hot pasta. Look for pasta made with durum wheat (semolina) flour imported from Italy because it doesn't get mushy when it is cooked.

Use long pastas with sauces that have a creamy texture. Use short pastas with sauces that are chunky.

Cracked peppercorns and grated cheese meld with pasta water to create this fast and easy no-cook sauce.4 heaping tablespoons black peppercornsAbout 10 rounded tablespoons freshly grated young Pecorino Romano1 pound pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, fusilli or rigatoni)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.While the water is heating, fold the peppercorns into a sheet of waxed paper or an old cloth napkin and whack them repeatedly with a blunt instrument, such as a meat tenderizer or the bottom edge of a pan, until coarsely cracked.Mix the cheese and pepper in a small bowl.Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.When the pasta is almost done, add a large spoonful of its water to a serving bowl to warm. Transfer the drained pasta to the bowl; reserve the cooking water.Add the olive oil to the pasta and toss. Sprinkle on the cheese and pepper and toss vigorously. The sauce will form right on the pasta as the residual water mixes with the cheese. Add some of the reserved cooking water to spread things around if need be.Serve immediately on warmed dishes.Source: Adapted from “Sauces & Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way” by Oretta Zanini de Vita and Maureen B. Fant (W.W. Norton, $35).