For my pasta party, I chose four different pastas and three different sauces. The sauces are a marinara, alfredo and vodka sauce. I serve bread, parmesan and fresh basil on the side for topping. Simple, easy and delicious!
Get ready to host a fun and delicious dinner party at home with this easy Italian pasta bar!
I hosted a January baby shower for my sister and a little over 30 of her closest friends. The cold weather meant I wanted to serve hot food, so the sternos, pans and stands (purchased at Costco) came in handy. I also made signs for each side of the pan, so guests could see the name of the dish, including main ingredients. Lastly, instead of one big pan of each dish, I used two smaller pans in each one and allowed guests to serve from both sides. I also made sure to include one meatless dish and one meatless salad - hoping there would be a little something for everyone. Please note, this menu does NOT include desserts. I ordered cupcakes for the event. As usual, if you notice anything missing or have any questions please let me know! Main Dishes: Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto; Baked Italian Sausage Pasta; Pasta Fagioli (meatless) Salad: 'That Good Salad' - one meatless one with meat Bread: 2 loaves of French bread with spread Bread close up Pasta Close up Salad (same salad - one with bacon and one without for our non-meat-eating buddies) Signs show which has bacon and which is meatless Dessert: Hire out! :) Unless you're a baker, which, i'm not! RECIPES Pasta with Sundried Tomato PestoMakes 12 Servings (x3 of normal recipe) 24 oz. rotini 3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained (300 grams) ¾ package basil leaves cut into ribbons 6 tbsp slivered almonds (42 grams) 6 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese 3 tbsp minced garlic 1 1/2 tsp salt ¾ teaspoon black pepper 6 oz. fat free feta cheese 36 oz. Chicken 3 tsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste (for chicken) Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. While pasta cooks, add chicken, olive oil and salt and pepper to a large pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. While pasta and chicken are cooking, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Combine tomato mixture and the reserved cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta to chicken pan, and add mix to pan. Stir well. Serve in tray and sprinkle top with feta. Baked Italian Sausage Pasta Makes 12 Servings (x2 of normal recipe) 2 packs of 5 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage links, casings removed 22 oz. pasta of your choice (I used Ziti), cooked per package instructions 6 tbsp parmesan 200 grams fat-free ricotta cheese 4 tbsp fresh basil, finely diced 4 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce 100 grams Fresh Mozzarella, grated 2 tsp dried basil Preheat oven to 400. Set a large pan (that has a lid) to medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage to pan, and top with lid. Cook sausage for 15 minutes, turning and breaking up with a spoon every few minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine parmesan, basil, ricotta cheese and 3 cups spaghetti sauce and mix thoroughly. Add cooked pasta. Stir. Shred now-cooked sausage with two forks. Add to mixture and stir. Divide mixture into two rectangular baking dishes that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread remaining 1 cup sauce on top. Bake for 12 minutes. Spoon into serving pans, pat the tops flat with a spoon, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and dried basil. Pasta Fagioli Recipe Makes 8 Servings 2 tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion, small to medium size 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 celery stalk, diced 2 15 oz can cannellini beans 2 15 oz can tomato sauce 2 large bay leaf 2 tbsp basil, dried 2 tbsp parsley, dried 2 tsp oregano, dried 8 cups fat free chicken broth (or 2 cans) 4 cups water Sea salt and pepper to taste 16 oz. small pasta (I used mini fusili) 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 80 grams fresh mozzarella, grated In a deep pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Blend can of beans with one cup water in electric blender until smooth. Repeat with second can of beans and another cup of water. Add blended beans to pan then add the tomato sauce, celery, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water and bring to slow boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is al dente*, according to pasta directions. Ladle into pan, and top with parmesan and mozzarella. *Do NOT cook pasta early on this recipe. It's important that it cooks in the other ingredients to make it less soupy/easier for guests to eat. That Good Salad (double it for two salads) Dressing (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless): 3/4 Cup EVOO 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup lemon juice Salad (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless; just omit bacon from second one): 2 bunches Romaine Lettuce 2 cups tomatoes, diced 1 cup swiss cheese, shredded 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated 8 strips bacon, fried & broken into pieces 1 cup caesar salad croutons Mix ingredients together; cover & refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressings over salads just before serving and mix well. Bread 2 loaves Italian bread, sliced to 1-inch thick Spread for bread: 10 tbsp butter, softened; 4 tsp olive oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper. Preheat broiler. Mix all ingredients except cheese. Spread on bread. Arrange on baking sheets and broil for 5 minutes. Add to bread basket. TO-DO LIST Weekend Before Make grocery list and buy all ingredients you need. Make sure you have plenty of plates, napkins, silverware, etc. - especially if you're using paper products Day Before Dice package of basil and two tomatoes Defrost 36 oz. chicken Defrost 2 packs of Jennie-O turkey sausage Cook 22 oz. ziti and put in large zip lock bag Make ALL Pasta Fagioli – put in large Tupperware dishes and store in refrigerator Mix dressing for salads and store in plastic containers on counter Clean lettuce using salad spinner. Dice lettuce and store in large zip lock bags Shred cheeses if not purchased shreddedDay of timeline to have food on sternos at 6 p.m. (adjust timeline for time of event start) 3 p.m. Put out plates, sternos, etc., where you want to serve them 3:15 p.m. Remove Pasta Fagioli from refrigerator 4 p.m. Make salad in bowls you plan to present them in – put in fridge (do not add dressing yet) 4:30 p.m. Make spread and spread on bread 4:45 p.m. Start pasta with sundried tomato pesto (important that this cooks day of as you need to reserve pasta liquid, helps for consistency, etc.) 5:20 p.m. Start baked Italian sausage pasta (noodles are already made for this) 5:30 p.m. Start microwaving pasta fagioli to get it heated up a bit before it goes on sternos; stir in between heat 5:40 p.m. Remove salads from refrigerator, place on counter for serving and drizzle with dressings 5:45 p.m. Bake bread and add to basket 5:50 p.m. All pastas, bread and salad should be in dishes ready to go. Top each dish with cheese if desired and cover loosely with foil to keep warm before serving.
Host a super easy dinner party with a make your own pasta bar! Click through to visit The Sweetest Occasion for entertaining tips, party ideas, recipes and more!
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How to Host a Pasta Bar | Pasta Buffet Ideas | Pasta Party | How to set up a pasta buffet | Budget-Friendly Feeding a Crowd
I could barely contain my excitement about a planned lunch at Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar on the Level 5 food court at Westfield Sydney. Freshly prepared pasta for $15 in the city is worth getting excited about. Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar, Level 5, Westfield Sydney As first visited a few weeks ago, a late-ish workday lunch turned out to be a good time for putting orders in – not too busy and lots of food court seating around Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar (not so much in the bar though). Options abound – in addition to pasta, there are daily specials and Italian mains, including beef involtini, crumbed cotoletto and a roast of the day of lamb of with vegies the day I visited. The pasta cabinet In pasta options, “original” pasta types include spaghetti, fettucine, penne and rigatoni while “freshly made” includes lasagne, ravioli (spinach and cheese on this day), conchiglie (shells), pappardelle, strozzapreti, orecchiette and tagliatelle. Pretty pasta displays Of sauces, there are amatriciana (tomato, bacon or pancetta and chilli); boscaiola (cream, bacon and mushroom); carbonara (egg, cheese and bacon); gorgonzola; napoli (tomato and basil), pesto; ragu of minced meat and tomato; and aglio olio pepperoncino (garlic, oil and chilli) Fettucine with boscaiola sauce A naughty, creamy boscaiola sauce with a long-time favourite of fettucine is my order; not unlike a combination you might find at a suburban Italian trattoria actually. The serving is generous and topped with grated parmesan cheese. It’s made special with quality strips of bacon and an array of gourmet mushrooms – not a button in sight but plenty of cute, brown chestnut mushrooms and some larger sliced variety. The pasta is al dente in a most perfect manner with none of that sticking together of noodles that I find happens at home with fettucine. Conchiglie with gorgonzola sauce My fellow luncher has opted for shells with a gorgonzola sauce, presumably made with the huge hunk of gorgonzola dolce latte sitting in the salumi and cheese cabinet. The sauce looks completely unfettered with any other ingredient (other than perhaps cream or milk) but looks like it could do with a green garnish. The sauce is expectedly rich and creamy while the pasta shells are on the very firm side of al dente – a little too undercooked for my liking, though I can’t be sure how conchiglie are meant to be cooked. The lack of greenery all round strongly encourages us to get a side salad. The rocket, tomato and parmesan salad at a relatively pricey $12 sets some pretty high expectations (the pastas were $13 and $15 each). What we receive, sadly, isn’t quite in line with the excellent value of the pasta, especially with the presence of some soggy rocket leaves. Antipasti misti On another occasion, an after-work weekday (non-Thursday) visit sees a couple of us back, up on the slightly tall and awkward black and white striped chairs at the bar, with suggestions of glasses of a Trebbiano and a Sangiovese to go with the antipasti misti plate. It’s one of the better value antipasti plates I’ve come across, laden with cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, grissini and crispbread – suitable for three grazers, I think. Antipasti misti - the other side Standouts were the semi dried roma tomatoes, grilled eggplant, the cheese-stuffed green olives despite being super salty, the prosciutto and capocollo. However, the pickled zucchini seemed just a little too acidic for my, and the wine’s, liking. Of the cheeses, the grape-skin topped pecorino (I think) is a talking point, while some of the soft cheeses have been somewhat impacted by the juices of the pickled onions – but not so the bitey parmigiano reggiano which is impressively rich with its full flavour. Despite the official 6.00–6.30pm-ish closing time, the customers keep coming to Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar; most looking like city workers looking for post-work respite in pastas, soups, antipasti and of course, lots of Italian wine. It just a little bit of heaven – in the middle of a shopping centre.
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How to Host a Pasta Bar | Pasta Buffet Ideas | Pasta Party | How to set up a pasta buffet | Budget-Friendly Feeding a Crowd
My hubby and kids absolutely love pasta in all forms, and I enjoy making it when we have guests over. It’s a favourite of adults and kids alike, and here’s a fun way to make it an exciting suppertime experience: make a DIY family pasta bar! The concept is simple. Cook a few kinds of pasta...
Fast, fresh and authentic Italian food to take away 40-43 Fleet Street, London: Popular Italian chef, TV personality and entrepreneur, Gino D’Acampo, has today officially launched his first ‘My Pasta Bar’ – a brand new premium fast and fresh Italian cuisine concept in central London. My Pasta Bar serves a range of delicious Mediterranean dishes, with […]
Pastificio is a local pasta shop near Rome's Spanish Steps that sells dry and fresh pasta and has a daily hot special for only €4.
