RED-AND-WHITE MOSTACCIOLI

by: Liz Edmonds- The Food Nanny

• 1 pound uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta
• Alfredo Sauce (p. 71)
• 1 (26-ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• or 3 cups homemade sauce, divided (see Note)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• RED-AND-WHITE MOSTACCIOLI (“little mustaches”)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
3. Meanwhile, prepare sauce of Fettuccine Alfredo (omit the pasta).
4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Layer
half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and
11/2 cups of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta,
Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and
bubbly.

Serve with a tossed green salad and Italian or French bread.

Note: You may use meat sauce or meatless; I prefer meatless. When I make my
own spaghetti sauce (p. 62 made meatless), I often double the recipe so I can
freeze half of it to have on hand for this recipe. But purchased sauce is almost
as good.

ALFREDO SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound uncooked fettuccine

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix in the cream
cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring
to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often, while you cook the
pasta. If the sauce needs additional thickening (for example if you're serving
it as a dipping sauce without pasta), you may sprinkle in flour, 1 teaspoon at
a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency.
2. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain.
3. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper
to taste.
4. Toss the sauce and the pasta in a large bowl and serve immediately.
Serve with a tossed green salad and hot French bread or bread sticks.
Variations:

For Chicken Alfredo, stir-fry bite-size chunks of chicken in 1 tablespoon olive
oil until cooked and add to the sauce.

If you’re a seafood lover, toss the sauce with cooked medium shrimp or
chunks of crab.