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Cook Talk

Pasta Sauce
Diane Evans
02/23/15
How much pasta sauce will I need to make for 220 people. Do I buy tomato sauce and start there. How many No. 10 cans will I need?
Thank You Diane
ellen
02/24/15
Diane, I make 1 quart per pound of dry pasta, but how much pasta depends on whether it is a main or side dish and what else is being served. 8 pounds makes 100 moderate side servings, but you need 10 pounds to make 50-60 main dish servings. So you need to let me in on the entire menu, type of crowd, type of event, whether it is buffet or plated, etc. Write back.

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Diane
02/25/15
It's a crab feed and I'm in charge of the pasta. They are serving salad, bread, pasta, and crab. My problem is how much sauce to make. How many number 10 cans will I need. Also I use mushroom gravy to calm the acid in the sauce, but I can't find mushroom gravy in number 10 cans. Is there some else I can use.
Thank you
Diane
02/25/15
There will be about 220 of young people that like to eat
ellen
02/25/15
OK, I would count this as 250 and do 45-50 pounds of pasta.

4 #10 cans makes 3 gallons or 12 quarts.

Suggest you get #10 cans of a chunky, vegetable rich spaghetti sauce, not straight tomato sauce, and stir in a couple of cans of sliced mushrooms. Then add caramelized onions (from long slow cooking), about 2 pounds per 4 gallons, making a classic tomato sauce when you include celery and carrots, 1 part each celery and carrot to 2 parts onion. Add the onions first to get the caramelization.

Most classic Italian sauces use just a bit of sugar to get the same effect.

ellen
02/25/15
The sauce also tastes sweeter and less acidic the longer you cook it so if you do have time to leave it for a few hours to gradually cook you should have a sauce that is much less acidic.
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