Tips for Hosting a Pasta Feed in Your Home

A few times a year we host a huge pasta feed for my kids’ sports team. Sometimes we’ll end up with 50 hungry teenage mouths to feed. Sounds daunting, but it always turns out awesome. The kids love it and I love having them there. Through the years I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks through trial and error. I’m sharing them with you so you don’t have a pasta party disaster, although it really is much simpler than it seems.

Pasta Feed Tips:

1. Set a practical menu. If you don’t mind spending some time in the kitchen, prepare some fun Italian dishes {see recipes below} to go with your pasta, but stick to simple spaghetti if you’re in a time crunch or if the thought of catering to a group that size makes you want to break out in hives.

2. Recruit other parents to help you in the kitchen. I usually have a mom or two who will show up to help me serve, cook, etc. Try not to be a one man show and ask for help if you need it.

3. Be realistic with your budget. While pasta is a pretty cheap way to feed the masses, food for a group that size can get expensive. If you’re looking for a way to cut down costs, host with another family {or two} and split the cost. Or ask other parents to send some desserts or sides. They’ll probably be more than happy to pick up a loaf of french bread or make a quick salad if they know they don’t have a herd of kids coming to their house!

4. Cook enough food. I usually make about 8 pounds of pasta, 20 pounds of sauce and 8 pounds of hamburger or meatballs {if your budget is really tight, eliminate the meat}. I also serve up 2 huge bowls of Caesar salad, 4 loafs of garlic bread and a simple dessert like brownies or cookies {at least 1 brownie per kid or 2 cookies per kid}. I’ll always have a pot of boiling water ready and some uncooked pasta on hand just in case they have larger than expected appetites.

5. Basic drinks are best. You can always go super inexpensive and have pitchers of water, but I usually do milk and juice too, and that’s typically what they always go for. I never serve soda or high fructose anything. While I don’t mind feeding kids junk food every now and then, I try to avoid having them drink it. That way I can bake up a pan of brownies and not feel the least bit bad about it.

6. Don’t forget the little stuff. Make sure you have plenty of plates, cups, utensils and napkins. Borrow coolers if you’ll need more than you have to keep drinks cold. Also, LOTS of trash cans and plenty of trash bags. Set out a recycling bin if you recycle. The kids are always great about cleaning up after themselves and even taking the trash out if I ask them {make sure they help take down tables and chairs if you borrow or rent them}.

Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Pasta Feed Recipes:

By far the easiest thing to serve at a pasta feed is noodles and a simple red or meat sauce. But sometimes I like get a little creative and add a dish or two. It’s also helpful if you have non-meat eaters attending.  if I don’t have time to slave away in the kitchen, I can always fall back the freezer meals I have already made!

Freezer Meal Lasagna with Meat Sauce:

If I don’t have time to slave away in the kitchen, I can always fall back on the freezer meals I have already made!

Caprese Lasagna Roll-Ups:

Very helpful if you have non-meat eaters attending.

And there you have a few simple tips and recipes to help you host a successful and stress-free pasta feed. Have you done this before? Have any great ideas to add?

~Mavis