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Yesterday, I shopped at Smart & Final to purchase the ingredients needed to develop a few recipes to try for our upcoming sports party for the basketball playoffs.

We host a lot of different types of parties throughout the year and sports parties seem to have the same foods over and over and …. over. Yawn. So this year, we have decided to do a pasta bar to have foods that are tasty yet easy to eat. A few things I have learned over the years of hosting sport viewing parties:

1. Guest would rather have a cold drink in hand than a plate
2. We really don’t have a need to buy plates
3. My friends prefer food they can hold in their hand and raise in the air as they scream at the TV

With above in mind, I shopped at two different Smart and Final stores and picked up the following ingredients, which will be used for multiple dishes. {I really wanted the cheese tortellini and the first store was sold out at the time}

• First Street Angel Hair Pasta
• La Romanella Cheese Tortellini
• First Street pre-cooked beef and chicken meatballs
• First Street Casear Salad Dressing
• La Romanella Parmesan Cheese
• First Street Croutons
• La Romanella Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
• La Romanella Marinara Sauce

I was able to find everything I needed from fresh produce to frozen to cheese to pasta to sauce… you get the point… Smart & Final has everything you need as a one stop shop for your party food needs. {And the option to buy larger packages if needed at a great price!}

I had lots of options for pasta, including organic, to choose from when trying to mentally create my dishes while I stood in the aisle.

I was able to get a club warehouse size bag of Parmesan cheese and cheese tortellini for a fraction of the cost I would have paid by buying multiple bags at the grocery store.

Pasta Bar

In preparation for the big event we tested the following recipes using the ingredients provided for this opportunity:

• Mini Caesar Salads
• Tortellini Caprese Skewers
• Tortellini and Meatball Skewers
• Baked Spaghetti Cups

Mini Caesar Salads

To make serving easy, I made mini Caesar Salads using romaine lettuce {which is sold in bulk of 6 heads per package}, First Street Caesar Salad Dressing, and La Romanella Parmesan cheese.

Tortellini Caprese Skewers

These are so easy to make and very tasty. We used the cheese tortellini, mozzarella balls, and cherry tomatoes drizzled with an olive oil and Italian seasoning.

Tortellini and Meatball Skewers

You can use the meatballs several ways and this is an easy appetizer to make with just one half of a First Street meatball and a La Romanella tortellini served with the La Romanella marinara sauce, La Romanella Parmesan cheese, and basil chiffonade.

Spaghetti Bakes

I have seen these called a lot of things such bird’s nests, pasta bakes, and more. Whatever you call them — they are easy to make and it’s a fun way to turn spaghetti into an appetizer.

I have found the spaghetti bakes are a lot easier to work with if you twirl them on a fork first before adding them to the muffin pan. {And they look prettier too if that is what you are going for to impress your guests!}

Do not fill them to the top — half to three quarters full is enough as we want our guests to be able to eat these in 1 – 2 bites.

Baked Spaghetti Cup topping suggestions:

• La Romanella Marinara Sauce
• First Street Meatballs
• La Romanella Parmesan Cheese
• Chopped olives
• Basil Chiffonade

What ideas do you have to add to the top of yours?

Baked Spaghetti Cups

Print

Ingredients

• 8 ounces First Street spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup La Romanella Marinara Sauce
• 1/2 cup of La Romanella Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare the pasta until it is "al dente" and drain.
3. Add to bowl, coat with olive oil, and allow to cool.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs
5. Add the marinara sauce and cheese to the eggs and mix till well blended
6. Add the pasta
7. Spray a non-stick muffin pan {do not use the mini pan}
8. Twirl the long pasta onto a spoon
9. Add the twirled pasta to each muffin slot until full {TIP: if you don't have enough pasta, fill the muffin slot with water}
10. Bake for 20 minutes and then cool for at least 10 minutes
11. Remove the spaghetti from the muffin pan
12. Add desired toppings

Stay in touch with Smart & Final through their social media networks and their online community at:

• Find more recipes at Smart & Final Social Circular
• Smart & Final on Twitter
• Smart & Final’s Facebook Page:  Submit your photos to the Smart & Final photo and recipe contest, which will start on March 5. The name of the contest is “Our Brands, Your Pics” – good luck!