Pasta

A standard serving is about 85 to 100 g of dry pasta for a main course and 55 to 60 g for a side or starter. Dry pasta roughly doubles in weight when cooked. A 9.07 kg (20 lb) case therefore gives about 90 to 105 main-course servings. For catering, plan 100 g dry per guest for a pasta main and 60 g when pasta is one of several dishes.

Use about 1 L of water per 100 g of dry pasta, and add about 10 g (2 teaspoons) of salt per litre, which seasons the pasta from the inside. Bring the water to a full boil before adding pasta and stir in the first minute so it does not stick. Oil in the water is not needed. Keep a cup of the starchy cooking water to loosen and bind the sauce.

Bronze-die pasta, such as De Cecco, is pushed through bronze dies rather than smooth Teflon ones. The bronze leaves a rough, porous surface that holds sauce better and releases more starch into the cooking water. It is often dried more slowly at lower temperature, which helps the pasta keep its bite. Bronze-die pasta looks matte and slightly chalky, while Teflon-die pasta looks smooth and shiny.

Many kitchens par-cook pasta to about 2 minutes short of al dente, drain it, toss it with a little oil, spread it on sheet pans to cool quickly, then refrigerate it in portions. During service, each portion is reheated in boiling water for 30 to 90 seconds and finished in the sauce. Cooled pasta must reach 4 °C or colder within a few hours and be used within 2 to 3 days.

Mostly, but gluten-free pasta, such as Barilla Gluten Free made from corn and rice, is less forgiving. Use plenty of boiling water, stir often in the first minutes, and start tasting a minute or two before the package time, because it turns soft quickly once past al dente. Rinse it only if serving cold. Cook it in a separate pot with separate utensils and water for guests with celiac disease to avoid cross-contact.

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