Rigatoni with the meat sauce, along with meatballs and Italian sausage, so I guess it’s not as rare as previously implied
Category: Food
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Assorted cooking and baking
Started the day by accidentally foraging for a bunch of pawpaw on a hike. Naturally, it had to be turned into pawpaw (banana) bread
The raw fruits 
The meat harvested 
Final form While that was baking some stray potatoes and onions got turned into latkes
I’m never buying hash browns again Next some lamb was volunteered to make shepherds pie, it took a long while to braise but came out great
The mashed potatoes were shifted for the viewers sake Finally, a copious amount of apple fritters were made with a bulk bag of apples. A significant chest wound from an oil splash was sustained, but spirits remained high in spite of.
The offending oil in question 
Snack time -
Pasta Pass #12
Delayed writing, but I was properly famished from the bike ride and devoured three bowls.
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Pasta Pass #10
Big Ten, same booth same waitress, different pasta: spaghetti+meat sauce+meatballs+Italian sausage
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Pasta Pass #8
Dear valued readers, I’m starting to get recognized. Hopefully in good, leaves cash tips and no mess, way. A reader submitted an inquiry regarding the economic analysis of this whole setup, so as I wait for my Zuppa Toscana, let us calculate.
The extra distance commuting to the local Olive Garden is 10 miles. With my current vehicle and gas prices that comes out to about $3. List price for the Never Ending Pasta Bowl (with protein, of course) is $20, while the Pasta Pass was $100. Therefore break even for the Pasta Pass pass is 100/(20-3) = 5.88 bowls, which the astute may note has been already achieved. Of more interest is finding if it is economical compared to home cooking. A 5lb pack of boneless, skinless, chicken breast can be had for $2/lb, adding pasta ($2/box) and vegetables ($10/bag at the farm stand) it’s reasonable to achieve $5 per meal. We can exclude the cost of cooking energy due to the solar project and cooking time due to me not valuing it. Therefore our new break even equation is $5 = $3 + $100/x where x is the number of bowls, solvable to x = 50 bowls. Due to missing the first week I only have 12 weeks of Pasta Pass to work with, meaning I need to consume 50/12 = 4.17 bowls per week on average.
Speaking of economics, the fastest turnaround I’ve had thus far with today’s selection, Spaghetti+Meat Sauce+Meat balls+Italian Sausage, came out with the soup in 5 minutes.
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Pasta Pass #7
Dear readers, I have cracked the code. Instead of asking for less pasta simply ask for a refill without it.
Fettuccine+Five Cheese Marinara+Crispy Chicken Fritta & Nothing+Meat Sauce+Crispy Chicken Fritta
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Pasta Pass #6
Took the weekend off but we’re back. A small shout-out to the soups, we know it isn’t what people come for but they are still pretty tasty.
Angel Hair+Meat Sauce+Crispy Chicken Fritta. I have to figure out how to get less pasta because I can never finish it. Maybe a refill that matches but with no pasta at all?
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Pasta Pass #5
Forgot pictures again but had Fettuccine+Meat Sauce+Meat Ball and Italian Sausage with my partner in crime
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Pasta Pass #4
Forgot to get the fresh plate picture so you get one of the take home bowl
Rigatoni+Spicy Alfredo+Crispy Shrimp
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Pasta Pass #3
Last day at this location, Fettuccine+Five Cheese Marinara+Double Crispy Chicken Fritta
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Pasta Pass #2
On travel this week, so new place.
Rigatoni+Five Cheese Marinara+Double Crispy Shrimp Fritta
So far great success with sitting at the bar.
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Pasta Pass #1
You may or may not be aware that Olive Garden brought back their pasta pass. Naturally, this was too good of an offer to miss out on, so I acquired one. I was on vacation when it started but had my first of many, starting with fettuccine-meat sauce-chicken fritta and spaghetti-meat sauce-meat ball. The waiter was great, hope to see him again next time.
