In article t>,
"Kellielabs" > wrote:

> Help. We're doing a spaghetti supper for church for about 200 people
> and are wondering how to cook the pasta and then keep it warm while
> we serve all 200 people. We'll serve from 5 to 6:30 P.M. If we cook
> all the pasta ahead of time, it will get cold. If we wait to cook
> individual batches, it will take forever.

> Welcome your suggestions!
>
> Thanks.

I cooked for about three or four such events when I was Mrs. Church Lady
(before they kicked me out of the church). Sauce was prepared early in
the week--no problem there. On the day of the dinner, I'd start cooking
the noodles an hour or so before meal time, drain them, pour a bit of
salad oil over them and mix, and put them in a large, covered
roaster-type pan in a 200 degree oven. When it's serving time, they
shouldn't stick together much, if at all. I do believe that this is
more efficient than dunking them in boiling water to heat just before
serving -- personally, I hate wet noodles under the sauce.

My fifty cents' worth.

Make some serious calculations about the amount of uncooked noodles
you'll need and what your serving portions will be. Do a test run --
cook two ounces and see what it looks like when it's drained. If you're
going to use one of those prongy spaghetti server thingies, see how many
scoopsful you need to achieve your desired serving. Make sure whomever
is slinging noodles stays at that amount and don't offer seconds until
everyone has been served once. Even the pastor/priest/vicar can wait
her or his turn. "-)

Here's the recipe I used to use; I believe it was originally a Betty
Crocker recipe that I increased for the dinners:

"Oodles of Noodles" Spaghetti Supper Sauce
4# lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 quarts canned tomatoes
3 quarts tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2-4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp ground black pepper

Cook and stir meat, onion, green pepper, and garlic in large heavy
kettle (8-12 quart capacity). When meat is browned, add tomatoes,
sauce, and remainder of ignredients; stir. Bring to boil; reduce heat
and simmer, uncovered, 3-4 hours to desired consistency. Stir
frequently to prevent sticking. Sauce may be used immediately or
divided and frozen for future use. Yield 24-30 servings, approximately
2/3 cup sauce per serving.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Arizona vacation pics added 3-24-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.