| Pop into any party and chances are there's a | | | | 2 hot dogs |
| large helping of pasta on everyone's plate. Next to | | | | ½ cup milk |
| rice and pancit, pasta is no doubt one of the most | | | | 1 cup cheddar cheese soup |
| popular party foods in the Philippines. That's why | | | | 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce |
| you'll find it in most Filipino food chains, although it's | | | | Procedure: Preheat your oven to 375oF. Put the |
| not considered fast food anywhere else in the | | | | macaroni in a large baking dish. Stir in the cheese |
| world. Yes, it's not exactly part of Filipino cuisine, | | | | sauce, worcestershire and milk, making sure all |
| but we've found ways to make it fit in with our | | | | the noodles are evenly coated. Chop the hot dogs |
| tastes. | | | | into thin slices, then arrange on top of the pasta. |
| But if you've been to enough parties, you'll notice | | | | Bake for 25 minutes or until hot dogs are done. |
| there's hardly any variety in Filipino pastas. There | | | | Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce |
| seems to be a standard: the sauce has to be | | | | Some people like traditional red sauce; others like |
| bright red, there's got to be hot dogs in, and you | | | | it white and creamy. This recipe strikes the |
| have to be generous with the cheese. But | | | | perfect balance between the two. This works |
| nothing's keeping you from breaking the rules. If | | | | great with Filipino desserts recipes such as leche |
| you want to surprise your guests at your next | | | | flan and halo-halo. |
| party, try one of these pasta Filipino recipes. | | | | Ingredients: |
| Chicken Lasagna | | | | 1 cup penne pasta, cooked |
| This is a rich pasta dish perfect for those really | | | | ½ cup bacon, chopped |
| special occasions. You can serve it with garlic | | | | ¼ cup onion, chopped |
| bread like other pasta recipes, or serve with a | | | | 1 clove garlic, minced |
| light potato salad on the side. | | | | ¾ cup bell pepper, chopped |
| Ingredients | | | | 2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, unsalted |
| 8-10 lasagna sheets, cooked | | | | ½ tsp dried basil |
| 2 cups chicken meat, cooked and diced | | | | ¼ cup evaporated milk |
| 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced | | | | 1 tsp sugar |
| 2 cups canned tomatoes | | | | 2 tsp floursalt and pepper to taste |
| 1 onion, chopped | | | | Procedure: cook the bacon, onion, and garlic on |
| ½ tsp oregano | | | | medium heat until tender. Add the tomato, sugar, |
| ½ tsp basil | | | | basil, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil, |
| ½ cup half and half | | | | then switch to low heat and simmer for 10 |
| 1 ¼ cups chicken broth | | | | minutes. Stir in the penne and cook another 2-3 |
| 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded | | | | minutes. |
| ½ cup ricotta cheese, shredded | | | | Eggplant lasagna |
| 2 tbsp butter | | | | This one is perfect for vegetarians or |
| 3 tbsp flourparmesan cheese to tastesalt and | | | | health-conscious eaters. The eggplant provides the |
| pepper to taste | | | | fullness of meat, making it much like traditional |
| Procedure: | | | | Filipino cooking recipes. |
| Saute onions in butter until transparent. Mix in the | | | | Ingredients: |
| basil, oregano, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Run | | | | 2 cups spaghetti sauce |
| the tomatoes through a food processor or | | | | ½ kg eggplant, thinly sliced |
| blender, then add to the vegetables. Add the | | | | 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded |
| chicken and let it cook on low heat. In another | | | | 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese, shredded |
| saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, | | | | 1 ½ cups pitted olives |
| stirring until smooth. Pour in the broth and stir | | | | 3 garlic cloves, minced |
| continuously until thick. Switch to low heat and add | | | | 1 tsp oregano |
| the half and half. In a greased baking pan, spread | | | | 1 tsp dried basil |
| some of the cream sauce on the base and cover | | | | 2 tsp fennel seeds |
| with a layer of lasagna. Layer with the meat | | | | 1/3 cup olive oil |
| sauce, cream sauce, and risotto and mozzarella | | | | Procedure: Preheat your oven to 425oF. Stir the |
| cheeses. Keep adding layers until you're out of | | | | basil and oregano into the olive oil, then brush onto |
| sauce. Top with parmesan and bake for about25 | | | | the eggplant strips. Brown both sides of the |
| minutes at 350oF. | | | | eggplant until tender. Layer the eggplant, |
| Polka Dot Mac and Cheese | | | | mozzarella and ricotta, sauce, fennel seeds, and |
| Kids will love this colorful dish at birthday parties. it | | | | olives in a casserole dish; repeat as necessary. |
| takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, so you'll | | | | Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cover. |
| have time to make other Filipino food recipes. | | | | Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cheese |
| Ingredients: | | | | gets bubbly. Let it cool for about 15 minutes. |
| 1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked | | | | |