I just got an e-mail from Olive Garden stating that there were only 2 more weeks left in their Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion. Time for me to get busy figuring out how to make this at home. I head on over to the Never Ending Pasta Bowl site wheret hey inform me that there are a total of 42 different combinations. The site is interactive and allows you to choose your pasta.

Pasta Choices are:

- Spaghetti
- Whole Wheat Linguine
- Linguine
- Fettuccine
- Penne
- Angel Hair
- Orecchiette

I chose Orecchiette since I have no idea what this is.

Then you highlight a sauce.

Sauce Choices are:

- New Creamy Parmesan Florentine
- New Roasted Portobello Pomodoro
- Alfredo
- Meat Sauce
- Five Cheese Marinara
- Marinara

I chose the new Creamy Parmesan Florentine.

Up pops a picture of my dish. This is fun to play with and will help you decide what you want to make at home.

1. Roasted Portobello Pomodoro w/ Spaghetti
2. Alfredo w/ Fettuccine
3. Creamy Parmesan Florentine w/ Whole Wheat Linguine
4. Roasted Portobello Pomodoro w/ Whole Wheat Linguine
5. Five Cheese Marinara w/ Penne

All combinations come with unlimited salad and breadsticks.

You can add Meatballs or Italian Sausage for $1.95 more.

Add to the Jar

Creamy Parmesan Florentine is just an alfredo sauce with spinach.

Roasted Portobello Pomodoro is just a marinara sauce with sauted mushrooms.

From the Jar

Alfredo

Meat Sauce

Five Cheese Marinara

Marinara

If you would like to make sauces from scratch the Olive Garden website has recipes for Alfredo, Bolognese, Herb Parmesan Cream and Pesto Sauces.

The Meal

Salad
Breadsticks
2 bowls of pasta with meat

11.95 per person not including drinks or tip.

 I decide I want to make the 2 new sauces and use penne and linguine pastas.

Shopping List

1 bag of salad mix
1 can black olives
1 red onion
1 jar peppercini
1 box croutons
1 jar creamy Italian salad dressing

1 box of packaged bread sticks

2 boxes of pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 jar of Marinara sauce
fresh mushrooms
frozen spinach
Italian Sausage

I'm a big fan of the Classico and Bertolli Brands of Sauces.

The Bertolli website has all of their 14 different sauces listed. Click on your favorite type of sauce and get recipes for using that product.

Bertolli also has a new line of premium pasta sauces in microwavable pouches. You can choose from:

• Champignon & Portobello
• Summer Crushed Tomato & Basil
• Sun Ripened Tomato & Olive

Classico also has a nice line of pasta sauces.  There are 19 varieties of red sauces and 6 different flavors of white sauces.  The website also lists recipes for each sauce.

The secret to getting the real restaurant feel is offering by offering your family or guests at least 2 different pastas and 2 different sauces. That will give you 4 combinations, add some grilled chicken and or Italian sausage for quite a few more combinations.  Don't forget the salad and bread sticks.

Packaged bread sticks.

Preheat oven to 350

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and wrap in aluminum foil.

Place in oven for 12-15 minutes

To a large bag of salad mix add:

• 1 can of whole black olives, drained
  
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 jar of peppercini, drained
• 1 jar shredded parmesan
• 1 box of croutons

1. Cool your salad bowl in the fridge for a few ours so it's cold.
2. Add the dressing in the bottom of your serving bowl.
3. Combine all the ingredients, toss and serve