OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

> I just called Olive Garden in Austin.
>
> They prepare large batches of pasta in advance, portion it, and
> re-heat
> it to order.

Back when i worked at a now defunct Italian restaurant the first things
done in the mornings was to make fish stock from recently butchered fish
and enough pasta for the days business. We would make enough pasta and
quick cook a portion of it till partly done as mentioned, the rest being
cooked in batches throughout the day as needed.

If the dish was to be served without a sauce the chef would quickly dip
the partly done pasta in a pot of boiling water for just a few seconds
then drain and plate it, if it were to be served with a sauce the pasta
would be put in the sauce to finish cooking.

Occasionally the chef would have to use uncooked pasta in a hurry and
would quick cook it and then dip it in iced water, remove, drain and and
finish it in a sauce.
----
JL

>
>
> Called a smaller Italian restaurant here in town.
> Same as above.
>
> Called my favorite restaurant here in town where they really do do a
> lot
> of fresh preparation due to menu variety.
> Same as above.
>
> Called Johnny Carinos Italian restaurant and got a different answer.
> They partially cook the pasta, then finish it to order.
>
> Interesting... :-)
> --
> Om.
>
> "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack
> Nicholson