Lots of Lasagna Gathering
Lots of lasagna and oodles of noodles, that's what this party is all about! Make one or more lasagnas as well as all the sides, or invite guests to bring a salad, bread or dessert! Celebrate watching a sporting event with friends or family, or just gather loved ones and enjoy these comforting noodle dishes.
Make It Special!
"Noodles" of Fun
These Passion for Pasta activities are designed for all ages.
- Play a bluffing game. Fill containers with less-common pastas (capellini, ziti, vermicelli, soba noodles, mafalda and fusilli), and give one to each person or team. They must tell guests about their pasta: its name and how to use it. Example: Soba noodles originated in ___ country and are traditionally served with ___ sauce. Guests then decide if they are bluffing or telling the truth. Award points to the bluffer if a bluff is undetected or to the attempted bluffee for uncovering a bluff. The fun comes when pasta tales are created and fallen for. Have the answers on index cards.
- Play a guessing game. Fill a see-through container with pasta, and create a number of guessing games. Award prizes for the right answers.
- How many pieces of pasta are in the container?
- How many pounds (or ounces) of pasta are in the container?
- How many servings of pasta are in the container?
- Create pasta pictures. Provide various shapes and colors of pasta, glue and poster board. Divide party-goers into teams, and challenge them to create a picture within a given amount of time and then tell its story. Who says this activity is only for kids?
Pasta Pizzazz and Pointers
- Pass a bowl of warmed spaghetti sauce to top off lasagnas made with red sauce.
- Dress up baked lasagna with a sprinkle of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish baked lasagna with sprigs of fresh basil and/or Cherry Tomato Flowers.
- Perk up sausage lasagna by using spicy sausage made with hot red peppers.
- Give cheese a golden glow at the end of baking (for lasagna with cheese baked on top).
- Set the oven control to broil. Broil with top 4 to 5 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Wrap and tie a colorful cloth around hot lasagna dishes to add a splash of color to the dinner or buffet table and prevent burns from hot pans.
- Cut lasagna into serving pieces with a sharp serrated knife. Cut the pieces twice; doing so will make serving each portion much easier.
Preparation Guide
Up to 2 Months Before
- Make Cassata; store tightly wrapped in freezer.
- Make Bread Machine Fresh Herb Bread; store tightly wrapped in freezer.
- Make Easy Meatless Lasagna, but don't bake; store tightly covered in freezer.
- Make Italian Sausage Lasagna, but don't bake; store tightly covered in freezer.
Up to 2 Weeks Before
- Make Marinated Roasted Peppers, Olives and Cheese; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
The Day Before
- Make Toffee Tiramisu; tightly cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Make Melon and Prosciutto; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Make Lasagna Roll-Ups, but don't bake; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Make Golden-Crusted Chicken-Asparagus Lasagna except the whipping cream topping, but don't bake; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Prepare salad greens for Party-Size Garlic and Romaine Salad; store covered in refrigerator.
- Combine dressing ingredients for salad in glass jar; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Remove bread from freezer.
- Remove Easy Meatless Lasagna from freezer; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Remove Italian Sausage Lasagna from freezer; store tightly covered in refrigerator.
- Prepare fruit for Italian Sodas; store covered in refrigerator.
The Morning Of
- Sleep in; you've earned it!
About 1 1/2 Hours Before Serving
- Bake Easy Meatless Lasagna.
- Bake Italian Sausage Lasagna.
- Make whipping cream topping for Golden-Crusted Chicken-Asparagus Lasagna, and bake.
About 45 Minutes Before Serving
When Guests Arrive
Just Before Serving
About 30 Minutes Before Serving Dessert
- Remove Cassata from freezer and unmold.