What pot size for 150 servings of sauce?

What pot size for 150 servings of sauce? - Collection of ceramic pots with creative ornaments near glass bottle placed on floor near shabby red door in modern workshop

I am cooking spaghetti meat sauce for approximately 150 people. I can cook the sauce, but I have never cooked for such a large group before, what size pot is recommended?



Best Answer

I would make up a small test batch and measure the amount of sauce you think is sufficient per person. It will vary significantly on the type of sauce, how "hearty" or rich it is, and whether you'll have a lot of side dishes or whether spaghetti is the only main dish.

Anyhow, once you decide on a typical portion, then just multiply the amount by 150 to see the total volume. For a typical example:

  • If you assume 1/2 cup (4 ounces) per person (probably the absolute minimum you'd need), that would be 4*150 = 600 ounces. Since there's 32 ounces per quart, that comes to 18.75 quarts .
  • If you assume 2/3 cup per person, that's 5.33 ounces*150 = 800 ounces/32 = 25 quarts. That might be a reasonable assumption for many sauces if there's just a single measured serving given to everyone.

If it's self-serve or "all-you-can-eat" or whatever, you might need a LOT more.

Always remember with a large pot that you'll need to allow space for headroom. If you want to cook 25 quarts of sauce, I'd use at least a 30-quart pot.

All of that said, unless you have experience cooking with large pots and have access to a stove with sufficient power and room (large pots are very wide and often quite tall), I'd recommend using multiple smaller pots. Sauce often needs frequent stirring, and that can be difficult with a very tall stockpot or something. Also, with a very large pot, it can often take a long time for the food to get to an appropriate hot temperature, so be sure your meat sauce is "safe" and heats fast enough.

(EDIT: I would clarify that the above is assuming an "American-style" spaghetti dinner. Traditional pasta in Italy served with red sauce usually has much less sauce, probably half of the above amounts. Again, I'd recommend making a test batch and measuring the amount you think is "correct" for your style of dish.)




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How much sauce do I need for 150 people?

Since there's 32 ounces per quart, that comes to 18.75 quarts . If you assume 2/3 cup per person, that's 5.33 ounces*150 = 800 ounces/32 = 25 quarts. That might be a reasonable assumption for many sauces if there's just a single measured serving given to everyone.

What is the serving size for sauce?

Many prestigious culinary schools, including the Culinary Institute of America, recommend a sauce serving of 2 ounces. This amount supposes a standard portion size for whatever is being sauced, too.

How many cups of sauce is a serving?

For tomato-based sauces, a good rule of thumb to follow is to use one jar of 24-ounce pasta sauce for every 16-ounce package of pasta. When calculating how much sauce for pasta per person, generally about 2 to 4 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of sauce for each 2 ounce (about 1 cup cooked) serving of pasta would be needed.

What is a good ratio when serving pasta and sauce?

An average ratio of tomato sauce to pasta is 1 1/2 cups of sauce to 1 pound of pasta. For oil-based sauces, use 1 cup per 1 pound of pasta. Go even lighter with creamy, rich sauces. Typically, we like the ratio of one jar of our sauce to 1 pound (or package) of our pasta.



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