If you've never had a pasta bar party, you're missing out! A pasta bar is one of the best things ever. Multiple choices of different sizes and shapes of pasta with multiple sauces to choose from and all the Parmesan cheese to top it with? Pure pasta heaven.
This pasta bar went viral on Instagram a few years ago. It is an inexpensive way to serve a LARGE crowd! It can feed 20-100 people with the right equipment! I also love serving a chips and salsa bar or a Mashed Potato Bar, and then finish with a chocolate fountain bar for dessert to realllly impress your guests. ☺️
This entire pasta bar cost me less than $30 and can feed at least 16 people!
Pasta Bar
A pasta party with a pasta BAR is such a great buffet idea especially if you need to serve a larger crowd for get-together like game day tailgating, birthday parties, holiday parties, or evene graduation parties.
Best of all, both kids AND adults love pasta!! A win for all!
Watch Aleka Set Up Her Pasta Bar
Here are my pasta bar must-haves!
Everything else is extra!
- Pasta (at least two types)
- Sauces (at least two types)- Offer one that is dairy free!
- Garlic bread or a sliced baguette
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
The Best Pastas For A Pasta Bar
The best choices for pasta is: spaghetti, penne, ziti, bow tie, rotini and rigatoni.
Here are some other good pasta choices:
- Orecchiette- This is an underused pasta that's best for cheesy sauces since it has a little cavity to hold deliciousness.
- Farfalle- This is the bowtie pasta kids love to eat. It can go well with any sauce.
- Cavatappi- This fun, tube-shaped pasta holds sauces incredibly well especially cheese sauces.
❌ Pastas that are NOT pasta bar friendly:
- Angel hair- It's too thin and has a high chance of sticking together.
- Orzo- This pasta is not great for topping with sauces after-the-fact. Plus, it will clump together as it sits.
- Linguini- Because of it's shape, it will definitely stick to one another as it sits.
- Tagliatelle- This is similar to linguini but it's more delicate so has a higher chance of breaking or sticking together.
Toppings For A Pasta Bar
- Parmesan cheese
- Bacon bits
- Ground beef
- Meatballs
- Crumbled/sliced Italian sausage
- Sauteed spinach, mushrooms or onions
- Garlic infused olive oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Chopped fresh basil
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pine nuts
How To Keep Pasta From Drying Out/Sticking
Using a generous amount of reserved pasta water and a splash of olive oil or butter will prevent your pasta from sticking together in the warming dishes.
Pasta Bar Sides
- Garlic bread/sliced baguette/focaccia
- Simple green salad with a vinaigrette
- Italian arugula salad with shaved parmesam and onions
- Roasted veggies like broccoli, zucchini or asparagus
How To Keep Pasta Warm
Chafing dishes, warming plates and/or mini crock pots are a MUST have for your pasta buffet! They help to keep the food warm while taking the stress of the host so you are not running around last minute reheating pasta or sauces.
All of these tools are meant to be placed on buffet tables and and are for serving larger crowds.
I bought this chalkboard sign off of Amazon! It's awesome. It comes with chalk markers AND a stand to place it on. I find it to be the perfect size to placing on tables when entertaining.
I split each warming dish into two and added ONE POUND of pasta to each side. Make sure to add a large serving spoon for each or a spaghetti spoon for each.
How To Keep The Sauces Warm!
For the sauces, I used mini crock pots! I got this triple crock pot from Amazon! It's amazing and much larger than I thought it would be. It really is perfect for serving sauces, dips, meatballs, or even side dishes!
If you do not have crock pots or don't want to purchase mini crocks, you can serve your sauces in bowls but make sure they are really hot when adding them to your bar. You don't want cold pasta or cold sauces.
Any toppings should be placed at the end of the pasta bar after guests add the pasta and sauce to their plates. Utencils and napkins should also be placed at the end.
Make sure to add mini spoons to each bowl. I love these mini gold spoons.
Final Pasta Bar Tips
- Make sure you serve your pasta and sauces in warmers! This will allow you to set everything up at least an hour in advance and forget about it. No reheating or running around last minute.
- Add a sign! Signs go a long way and add a decorative touch to any bar.
- Add some flowers to decorate your table!
- Add mini chalkboard signs to indication which sauce is which.
- Purchase store-bought marinara, alfredo, vodka and pesto sauce if you're short on time! Garlic toast too!
But what about drinks?! Serve this with my Mimosa Bar, Bloody Mary Bar or Mojito Bar!
Pasta Bar Items
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
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Buy Now → 
Buy Now → Drink pitchers to serve with your pasta bar!
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Simmer onions with butter and garlic over low medium-low heat.
- Add flour and saute until brown.
- Add in your heavy cream and whisk together.
- Simmer for 10 minutes or so until it thickens.
- Mix in your Parmesan cheese and turn off heat. Add salt if you prefer a saltier alfredo sauce.
- Serve over pasta of choice!
- Combine alfredo sauce with marinara sauce of choice and chopped basil and mix well.
Victoria
do you think you could cook the pasta ahead of time and warm up in the dishes?
Aleka Shunk
Yes you can, it just will take some time to warm up! I suggest saving some of the pasta water and adding that to the pan as well.
TB
Can I use a crockpot I already have for keeping the pasta warm?
Aleka Shunk
Yes you can!! 🙂
Rosa Ramirez
what toppings can I use for the pasta,trying to do this for my daughter's graduation party with her friends
Aleka Shunk
That depends your budget and guest list! Here are some popular topping options: Grilled chicken, meatballs, marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, sautéed mushrooms, bolognese sauce, ground sausage, sauteed spinach, bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil.
You can also do a blush sauce!