EXPRESS LANE : ON THE TABLE IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS.

Byline: - Natalie Haughton, Daily News Food Editor

Shrimp Piri Piri is Portuguese in origin. Traditionally, the shrimp are tossed with olive oil, garlic, hot peppers and salt. Using Chinese chile paste with garlic produces similar results and avoids a lot of mincing.

SHRIMP AND PASTA PIRI PIRI

1 pound large raw peeled and deveined shrimp

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Chinese chile paste with garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lemon

1 package (9 ounces) fresh linguine

Water

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon chile paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp with their marinade and saute until shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Squeeze lemon over shrimp. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling, lightly salted water until barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well.

Add pasta, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, butter, remaining 1 teaspoon chile paste and Parmesan cheese to skillet. Top with shrimp and toss together over medium heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

From ``365 Great 20-Minute Recipes,'' by Beverly Cox, HarperCollins.

Express to Go

Hot Wok, 9135 Reseda Blvd., Northridge, Calif. 91324

Word of mouth often yields leads on good takeout fare, and that's how we found out about Hot Wok. There are more than 140 selections on the menu (including desserts), so ordering was a bit difficult as so many items sounded appealing. We finally settled on sampling two luncheon specials - Shrimp Szechuan Style ($5.95) and Kung Pao Three Flavors ($5.55) - along with three a la carte items - Mu Shu Chicken ($7.25), Sweet and Sour Chicken ($7.25) and the House Special with Soft Noodles ($6.25).

The lunch specials - served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - came with an egg roll, a very small salad (basically some shredded lettuce with dressing on the side), fried or steamed rice and a couple of orange slices. Shrimp Szechuan Style was delicious and colorful with red and green peppers in a good brown sauce. The Kung Pao Three Flavors - with shrimp, chicken, beef, peanuts and red chile pods - appeared less attractive and appealing, although it tasted OK. We'd pass on this choice next time. The egg rolls that came with the lunches lacked flavor, but the fried rice was tasty.

The Mu Shu Chicken, which came with four paper-thin pancakes (and hoisin sauce on the side), was outstanding. It was loaded with chicken, bean sprouts, mushrooms, was well-seasoned and tasted great. It's a definite must-order if you go. You can also get Mu Shu pork, beef, shrimp or vegetables, any of which would be worth a try, too.

The Sweet and Sour Chicken was excellent and colorful, too. We liked the idea that the restaurant packaged the orange-colored sweet and sour sauce separately (to avoid the dish getting soggy during travel time) for us to mix with the batter-fried chicken pieces, pineapple, green peppers and carrots. The sauce has just the right consistency; it wasn't thick and gloppy like some of its counterparts we've tasted in our restaurant travels. The House Special with Soft Noodles included plenty of chicken, shrimp and beef, was nicely seasoned and tasty, even though the dish lacked color. However, that wouldn't deter us from ordering the noodles again.

Menu options are divided into categories - chef's specialties, appetizers, soups, seafood, fowl, beef and lamb, mu shu dishes, pork, egg foo-young, vegetables, soft noodles and fried rice, and chow fun and rice noodles. Some of the most expensive items include double-flavored shrimp ($13.95), lemon scallops in sizzling plate ($11.25) and Peking duck ($20.95). Other menu items range from $2.95 to $10.95, with many in the $6 to $10 price range. The restaurant also offers a Mandarin Dinner ($10.95 per person with a two-person minimum) and an Imperial Dinner ($12.95 per person with a two-person minimum) - and from the sounds of the items included, diners won't go away hungry.

The menu notes that sugar, salt, cornstarch and MSG can be omitted from food upon request. Delivery is available for an additional $2 on a minimum $15 order within a two-mile radius of the restaurant.

This restaurant offers large a la carte portions of quality food that, for the most part, is well-seasoned and tastes great. Give it a try soon - you won't be disappointed.

If you don't want to take out, consider dining in. The restaurant is attractively decorated in a black, white and peach color scheme with white tablecloths.