One-Pot Pasta Party #HolidayPairings

The holidays are approaching fast and everyone is getting in the spirit. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and quickly after that, Christmas. I love being able to spend time with my girlfriends around the holidays, but since we each have families and other activities, it sometimes becomes difficult to get together.

I decided to throw a Pasta Party for my friends as a holiday celebration. Growing up, my Mom would prepare a pasta buffet, with different sauces, proteins, and veggies. Then, we would pick and choose what we wanted in our pasta and she would saute it for us. A Pasta Party is great to feed a crowd, and even better that each pasta dish can be personalized.

Barilla Pronto Pasta made it even easier because I was able to cook the pasta and sauce in one pot and cut my time in half. Barilla Pronto Pasta does not need to wait for the water to boil and there is also no need for draining. With the add-ins prepared in advance, this Pasta Party was a breeze and everyone enjoyed themselves. It comes in 5 delicious shapes – Penne, Spaghetti, Linguini, Rotini and Elbow. I can’t wait to make more one-pot dishes and have so many ideas for easy weeknight meals.

When hosting a party, I usually have appetizers as well. My Antipasto Tray is always a hit. Genoa Salami, Bocconcini (Mozzarella Pearls), cubed Havarti, Marinated Mushrooms, Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Olives were on this specific tray. You could also use Giardiniera, Roasted Peppers, and a variety of other meats and cheeses. The Pepperidge Farm Cracker Trio is a great accompaniment to the Antipasto Tray, especially since it is a variety of crackers that everyone is sure to love.

Antipasto tips:

• have a variety, but keep it simple
• marinated vegetables, meats, seafood and cheeses are good choices
• appearance and fragrance is important so have a variety of flavors and colors on the plate
• antipasto plates can be vegetarian too
• roll or fold sliced meat for an interesting presentation
• be careful of olives with pits, I prefer pitted olives for my trays
• pair with Pepperidge Farm Cracker Trio or some crusty Italian bread
• have fun creating it!

Having a variety of wine on hand is key for a party. For this pasta party, I chose two Constellation Brand Wines – Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir and The Dreaming Tree Crush Red Blend. Walmart has a good selection of premium wines at a great price.

If you are interested in more holiday tips as well as wine tastings, and Barilla and Pepperidge Farm demos at your local Walmart during November and December, visit Simple Entertaining for details and more delicious ideas. Don’t forget to head to Walmart as your go-to place for holiday prep and entertaining. The pasta dishes and mix-in dish sets seen in my photos are from Walmart too, and perfect for parties.

Dessert cannot be forgotten, and I used Pepperidge Farm Classic Cookie Collection as our end of meal treat. My great-grandmother always had a variety of Pepperidge Farm cookies on hand and every time I have some, it brings back such wonderful memories that I am able to share with family and friends. Since I grew up eating Pepperidge Farm cookies, the variety in the Classic Cookie Collection was the perfect, delicious and easy choice for my holiday party.

One-Pot Pasta Party
A Love and Confections original recipe
Serves 4-6

One-Pot Pasta Ingredients:
– 1 box Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta
– 3 cups Water
– 1 & 1/2 cups Barilla Traditional Sauce
– Diced Chicken
– Sweet Italian Sausage, sliced
– Roasted Broccoli
– Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
– Sauteed Mushrooms
– Sauteed Zucchini
– Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

One-Pot Pasta Directions:
1. Prepare the add-ins in advance, so your party is a breeze. Once it is time to make the pasta, place mix-ins in bowls or ramekins, so your guests can easily add them.
2. Following the instructions on the back of the Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta box, place Penne and Water in a 12-inch saucepan and cook on high for 10 minutes.
3. Add in Barilla Traditional Sauce and cook another 1-2 minutes.
4. Have everyone in the party add their mix-ins to each of their dinner bowls, so it’s easier to keep track of who chose what mix-ins. One by one, saute the mix-ins with a portion of prepared pasta, in a small skillet. Place back into each of their bowls for individualized one-pot pasta dishes. Top with Parmesan. Enjoy!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS