Dear Heloise: I just found out that there are actually about 300 types of pasta! Cooked pasta, without any kind of sauce or filling, is actually very low in fat and calories. It’s what we put on top or mix with the pasta that makes all the difference. Pasta with a rich sauce will naturally have more calories than a lemon, olive oil and herb sauce. So go ahead and eat pasta, but remember to get creative when preparing the sauce if you want to keep calories down. — Rose B., Pueblo, Colorado

Rose, when I want to serve a pasta dish just as a side, I sometimes use a commercially prepared vinaigrette salad dressing and add black olives chopped up with a dash of Parmesan cheese. It’s quick and easy, and my guests always seem to enjoy it. — Heloise

HELOISE’S CHINESE BEETS

Dear Heloise: The other day, my husband asked me if I could make a dish he hadn’t had in some time, and that was your Chinese Beets. I looked all over the place and cannot find the recipe, so I assume I misplaced it or lost it somehow. Would you please reprint that recipe for me and others who love tasty beets? I would really appreciate it, and I know my husband would, too. — Ruth D., Jonesboro, Arkansas

Ruth, you can use this recipe for beets as a side dish, in salads or even over white rice. However, it can be rather tangy, so adjust it to your taste. Here it is:

6 cups cooked, sliced beets or 3 16-ounce cans sliced beets

1 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

24 whole cloves (if this is too strong, start with 12)

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons cooking oil (optional)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Dash of salt

Drain the beets, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the beet liquid. Place the beets in a medium saucepan with the reserved liquid and the remainder of the ingredients. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, or until the mixture thickens. Let it cool; then store in the refrigerator.

Now that was easy, wasn’t it? If you like recipes that don’t take a long time to prepare and are sometimes different from your usual fare, then you’ll love my pamphlet “Heloise’s All-Time Favorite Recipes.” It’s a collection of some of my family favorites that have been handed down in our family for a few generations.

To get a copy, just send $5, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Favorites, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX, 78279-5001. You’ll love having this little pamphlet on hand for those nights when you just don’t know what to make for dinner. — Heloise

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.