Cooking for a crowd is always a bit nerve wracking, especially if you've never done it before. Luckily, there is one option that's almost guaranteed never to go wrong, and one that guests are almost guaranteed to like as well; Pasta. It's one of those dishes that's incredibly versatile, eaten cold or hot, with vegetables, meat or fish and with tomato or creamy sauces or with just salt and pepper to season. The possibilities are plenty.

Firstly you should learn a few tips about cooking the actual pasta before concentrating on what to put with it. Always wait until your water is at a rolling boil before adding the pasta. You should also have added a glug of olive oil to the water. Both these things stop the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan and to each other, so that they cook evenly and don't have chewy bits. You should also always follow what the packet says, but test the pasta about 5 minutes before it says it will be done. Most people like their pasta little 'al dente' which literally means 'to the tooth', i.e. it should be firm but cooked through when bitten into, not soft and falling apart. One good test of whether spaghetti is cooked is to throw one piece at a painted wall; if it sticks then it's done (don't forget to take it off though or your guests will worry about the rest of the dish!).

Secondly, consider what meat you would like to use. Remember that beef goes best with tomato sauces whereas chicken goes better with creamy, white wine sauces and mushrooms. A great idea is to make an authentic tomato sauce over the course of the whole day (start it the morning of the day you wish to serve it) and simply throw in an already oven-cooked piece of meat half way through. For instance, a good quality beef joint still on the bone. Remove the bone and gristle before serving and you'll have tender pieces of beef in the sauce that almost melt in your mouth. Fish will go very well with either, especially shellfish which gives tomato based sauces a gorgeous flavor. With good quality seafood and shellfish you can just use olive oil and salt and pepper seasoning. Serve your pasta meals with buttery, crispy garlic bread drizzled with balsamic vinegar and you will definitely win some hearts.

Don't forget that cooking pasta for a crowd can also involve a variety of pasta salad dishes too. Try one with sweetcorn, mayonnaise and lemon juice and another with a drizzling of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a range of different colored uncooked peppers. The main thing to remember is that people don't like pasta that's drowning in sauce, and they also don't like their pasta to be soggy because it's been cooked too much. Al dente with olive oil, salt and pepper seasoning and a garlic and tomato sauce is a classic and delicious dish that will go with any meat, fish or Mediterranean vegetable.

Stan Tian

Copyrighted material; do not reprint without permission.

 

View all articles by Stan Tian