Trick-or-Treating Pasta Party
Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 4:00AM 
On a night like Halloween, the last thing you’re thinking about is dinner. Luckily, my boys love pasta … all shapes and sizes. It’s one of their favorite dinners as long as there’s plenty of Parmesan cheese. Andrew calls them “Parm junkies!”
I figure things could be worse. I care more that they’ll eat lots of goodies that are good for them, especially on this night of goblins.
Before setting out for a marathon night of trick or treating, fuel your little ones with a pasta party fit for an athlete (Ben is James Harden on the Thunder) or a hungry gangster (Nick is Al Capone). Setting up a carb-loading pasta bar pleases everyone, gives them the energy they need and cuts your workload in half.
It’s fun to fill your bowl with tasty ingredients for a customized pasta dish. The cheeses and vegetables are suggestions, so substitute your favorites if they’re not listed. Keep dinner simple by selecting ingredients that don’t require cooking.
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Pasta Bowl
1 pound linguine, penne or farfalle pasta
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
8 ounces Parma prosciutto
4 ounces roasted red peppers
4 ounces pitted, chopped Kalamata olives
Olive oil to taste
Salt to taste
Boil a large, pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, assemble the ingredients in bowls and set up as a buffet. Drain the pasta, drizzle with olive oil and instruct your kids to place the items they desire in bowls and mix in the hot pasta.
Andrew withholds the Parm until he thinks the boys have added enough colorful veggies to their pasta mix.
Makes 4 servings
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