# Reheating pasta with garlic and oil.  Need some advice.



## worktogthr (Dec 10, 2015)

Not sure if this belongs in this section so maybe it will get moved.  Probably belongs in an italian cooking forum, but I know a lot of people here have a wealth of knowledge about all kinds of food service, catering, and just cooking in general so i figured I'd try here first.

For two upcoming parties I have been asked to make Spaghetti (or Pasta) with garlic and oil.  A very simple dish that I make often and all of my family enjoys.  The problem is, I will not be able to cook it to order because in one case I am not even attending the party and in the other, all the food will be heated and put in sternos.

I have made many pasta dishes before ahead of time and reheated for parties, but those have mostly been casserole typed pasta dishes (baked ziti, Lasagna, stuffed shells, etc.)  All have those have a large amount of sauce which keeps all the other ingredients from drying out.  What puzzles me about reheating this dish is the relatively small amount of sauce in the dish.  Basically when all is said and done, a pound of pasta is only coated with 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 of salty pasta water (plus spices).  The sauce (really more of an infused oil) coats the pasta.  

Would doubling or tripling the amount of sauce in the recipe for a pound of pasta leave enough moisture in a  covered foil pan to reheat it without drying out?  Or would reheating it this way turn the pasta to mush?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

-Chris


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## travisty (Dec 10, 2015)

I have worked in many restaurants and for a catering company too, and it is common practice to make pasta ahead of time like that and either uncoated tor coated like you mentioned there is one method which is commonly used that I like the results the best. Cook your pasta and give it a cold water bath to stop the cooking, then let it air dry just a bit until it is no longer wet. Now you can either coat with your "dressing" first, or I would personally just sauce right before service and pac it dry.

Once the pasta has come down stick it into a vac seal bag and seal her up! the next day you can throw it (still sealed in the bag) into a boiling bath to reheat or if you get your sauce warm enough you can just pour it over the cooked pasta and mix.


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