Sauteed Pasta Bar

I got this recipe from my mom, and it has become a regular at our house. I love that it is so versatile and so easy. Just a simple extra step changes this meal from boring, home cooked pasta noodles and sauce to something worthy of the Olive Garden. (Maybe this is an obvious step to everyone else, but it's new to me!)

Anyway, it's so delicious! It's also great because it can feed our small family of three or a huge crowd with very little extra effort. Also, if you have any picky eaters, this meal makes it so everyone can have exactly what they want (or DON'T want), and so everyone is happy.

Ingredients:

• pasta noodles of your choice (my favorite is penne)
• garlic, minced
• pesto
• pasta sauce of your choice
• olive oil
• any meat you want: Our favorite is Italian sausage rolled into one inch balls and cooked. You could also do chicken or hamburger... And of course, meat is optional.
• any vegetables you want: mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, etc.
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook any meat you plan to use thoroughly. Cook the pasta noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Then, have each person take a bowl and assemble the following in their bowl: cooked noodles, a scoop of minced garlic to taste, a scoop of pesto to taste (in my opinion you can NOT skip the pesto - trust me), and any meat and vegetables they want. Do not add any sauce yet. Meanwhile, heat about 2 T. of olive oil in a skillet. Dump the contents of one person's bowl onto the heated skillet and saute for about 5 minutes or until warmed through and mixed well. (If you are serving a bigger group, you can have several skillets going at once.) Remove from the pan and return to the bowl or the person's plate. Top with the sauce of your choice and parmesan cheese. Enjoy! 

Here is a picture of my pasta before I put my sauce on the top, but after it had been sauteed. 

Side Dishes: This is yummy with a fresh green salad and a piece of Tuscan Flat Bread (recipe below).

Tuscan Flat Bread

I like this recipe because not only is it delicious, but it's pretty fast for a homemade bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 T. yeast
  
• 1 T. sugar
  
• 2 c. warm water
  
• 4 c. flour
  
• 2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 tsp. crushed rosemary
  
• 1/2 c. melted butter
  
• parmesan cheese (optional)
  

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for 2 - 3 minutes. Add flour and salt. Knead 2 - 3 minutes (optional). Spread dough to the edges of a greased, lipped, jelly roll pan (12 x 16). Pour butter on dough and spread to cover all the dough. Sprinkle rosemary and Parmesan over surface of dough. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake 20 minutes. Serve warm.