Top-Your-Own Pasta Bar
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Top-Your-Own Pasta Bar Image

Top-Your-Own Pasta Bar

Easy entertaining with a pasta bar: Choose from fresh roasted vegetables, a hearty Italian sausage meat sauce. or a two-cheese Alfredo sauce to top your plate of pasta.

 1 Review
15
servings
1 hr
PREP TIME
02 hrs 10 min
TOTAL TIME

Ingredients

Pasta

2 pounds uncooked dried penne or radiatore pasta

Roasted Vegetables

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter, melted

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 medium green, red and/or yellow bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 large onion, sliced into 1-inch wedges

Hearty Italian Meat Sauce

1/2 pound mild Italian sausage

3 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic

1 (15- to 16-ounce) jar pasta sauce

1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

Two Cheese Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter

2 cups Land O Lakes® Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

How to make

  1. STEP 1

    Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.

  2. STEP 2

    Roasted Vegetables: Heat oven to 425°F. Combine olive oil, butter, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in large roasting pan. Add vegetables; toss to coat. Bake 45-50 minutes, stirring once, or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown. Yield: 8 (1/2-cup) servings.

  3. STEP 3

    Hearty Italian Meat Sauce: Cook Italian sausage in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain; remove from pan. Set aside. Melt butter in same saucepan until sizzling; add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add cooked sausage, spaghetti sauce, and tomatoes to saucepan. Cook, 3-4 minutes, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 30 minutes. Yield: 8 (1/2-cup) servings

  4. STEP 4

    Two Cheese Alfredo Sauce: Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan until sizzling; stir in whipping cream, flour, salt and pepper with whisk. Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses; stir until smooth with whisk. Keep warm. Yield: 8 (1/4-cup) servings

Tip #1

Make sauces one day before serving. Reheat on stove top or in microwave. To serve, keep warm in slow cooker or fondue pot.

Nutrition

180Calories
13Fat (mg)
25Cholesterol (mg)
870Sodium (mg)
9Carbohydrates (g)
2Dietary Fiber
2Protein (g)

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  October 15, 2009

This is one of my favorite recipes for serving a buffet to a large crowd. Double or triple as needed. Always make extra alfredo sauce ~ it disappears quickly! Boil the penne ahead of time, store in ziploc bags, then microwave to reheat. Sometimes I cheat and use a good jarred tomato pasta sauce and add sausage or ground beef to save time.

— says Lori
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