Top-Your-Own Pasta Bar Recipe

1 Review

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.

1:00
Prep Time

2:10
Total Time

15 servings

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

Directions

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

Recipe Tips

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

Nutrition Facts (1 serving)

Calories

180

Cholesterol

25mg

Carbohydrates

9g

Protein

2g

Fat

13g

Sodium

870mg

Dietary Fiber

2g

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Rating

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.

Posted October 15, 2009 by Lori

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Top-Your-Own Pasta Bar

Ingredients

Pasta

Roasted Vegetables

Hearty Italian Meat Sauce

Two Cheese Alfredo Sauce

Directions

Recipe Tips

Nutrition Facts (1 serving)

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