PASTA NACHOS

Pasta Nachos image

Inspired by Olive Garden's mashup favorite, we loaded up fried wonton wrappers with layers of meaty marinara, mozzarella and creamy alfredo sauce for the ultimate stuff-your-face appetizer.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories appetizer

Time 40m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 medium carrot
Quarter of a small onion
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet Italian sausage link (about 3 ounces)
6 ounces ground beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Vegetable oil, for frying
12 wonton wrappers
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup prepared alfredo sauce
1/2 cup sliced cherry peppers (from about 3 peppers)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pulse the carrot, onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil. Add the sausage link and cover the pan. Cook until browned in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water has evaporated and only the oil is left, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and slice into half-moons and set aside.
Add the carrot mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper cook, breaking up the beef into very small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the marinara, tomato paste, sausage, and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
Attach a deep-fat fry thermometer to the side of a large heavy bottom pot. Fill with about 1-inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F.
Working in batches of 2 to 3, fry the wontons, until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. (Be sure to return the oil to 375 degrees F between batches.) Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Lay 6 wontons on the back of a baking sheet, overlapping slightly. Spread half of the meat sauce over the chips. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, half of the alfredo sauce and 1/4 cup of the cherry peppers. Lay the remaining 6 wontons on top and repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Slide the chips off the back of the baking sheet onto a serving platter.