Transporting Spaghetti...Ideas?

[ugadog99]

Weird subject, I know. I am helping feed a group of about 10 people tomorrow. One person is in charge of the sauce, one is doing salad, and I'm doing the spaghetti noodles, garlic bread, and brownies. So, how do you suggest I transport the noodles? I need to keep them hot. It's for a group of teenaged kids, so having the spaghetti perfectly al dente isn't a huge concern!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Do you have access to any heat source?

I would boil all the noodles and place them in any container. When you get where you are going pour boiling water over the noodles to reheat.

Or maybe you could boil them until not quiet done then transport them in hot water.

Good luck.

 

[lesroi]

If you have a friend with a Pyrex Portable thing, see if you can borrow it. I have had one for a few years and I love it. It's got a heat pack and a cool pack. I actually have had it so long I don't know if they even still make them, lol! Mine is a huge glass bowl with a plastic lid that would be perfect.

Tracy

 

[Lewski709]

Noodles take 10 min so if you can transport the sauce, boil the noodles there. Otherwise, seriously...take them in a bowl with a lid with water and butter. Just reduce the water before hauling them over. Keep the water they boiled in though. It works.

 

[goofyernmost]

I don't know what your situation is when you arrive, but the best way is to cook the pasta, drain it and put it in a sealable container, like Tupperware. If you are not going to take to long to get there it may be alright. If not you just have to drop it in hot water for a couple of minutes and there it is, just like new.

 

[scrapquitler]

Cook the noodles, drain them, add a little olive oil, then dump them into a CLEAN cooler, cover tightly. Transport. At arrival, dump them out into serving dishes, add hot sauce.

 

[ugadog99]

I'm taking it to school, but I'll not be able to reheat them anywhere. The drive from my house is 15 minutes or so, but I have to set up, too. It will probably be 30 minutes or more from the time I leave my house until serving. Could I use a crockpot and plug it in once I arrive?

 

[AlternateEgo]

For my sisters reception they had a pasta and my dad insisted that the noodles be cooked fresh... so they actually boiled them in a roaster. The water was never at a "boil" but the noodles did cook. I did not monitor how long they cooked the noodles for though, but it can be done.

 

[SandrA9810]

a crock pot was my first thought. Cook it at home, then toss it in the crock pot with olive oil or butter. Then set it on warm when you get there. Although i'd warm the crock up before you put the noodles in it.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm taking it to school, but I'll not be able to reheat them anywhere. The drive from my house is 15 minutes or so, but I have to set up, too. It will probably be 30 minutes or more from the time I leave my house until serving. Could I use a crockpot and plug it in once I arrive?

That would work. Cook and drain the noodles, put a little oil in them so they won't stick together, then put them in the crockpot. How many people are you serving? It might take several crock pots. A better idea might be those large trays with the little burners underneath.

 

[ugadog99]

That would work. Cook and drain the noodles, put a little oil in them so they won't stick together, then put them in the crockpot. How many people are you serving? It might take several crock pots. A better idea might be those large trays with the little burners underneath.

Six teenagers and 2 adults.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's for a group of teenaged kids, so having the spaghetti perfectly al dente isn't a huge concern!

I doubt they'll care if it's hot, either! I'd say as long as it's warm and the sauce is hot, it should be fine. I'd probably bring it in a large disposable aluminum pan that I could toss in the trash when it's over.

 

[kirstenb1]

Cook the noodles, drain them, add a little olive oil, then dump them into a CLEAN cooler, cover tightly. Transport. At arrival, dump them out into serving dishes, add hot sauce.

I agree with this. It's not ideal to put butter or olive oil on the noodles, because the sauce wont' stick as well, but this is the best suggestion I can think of. You need some type of oil to keep them from sticking.

 

[evilqueenfan]

When my DS was in high school, I was in charge of the team's spaghetti dinner before every home game. We would cook the spaghetti noodles al dente, at home, right before leaving for the school. Noodles were then put into aluminum foil. At the school, we put the noodles into a colandar and dipped the whole thing into boiling water, just for a few seconds to warm the noodles. Pull the colandar out of the water, drain spaghetti and serve with sauce. Worked wonderfully, each and every time. Spaghetti tasted freshly made, and piping hot.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm taking it to school, but I'll not be able to reheat them anywhere. The drive from my house is 15 minutes or so, but I have to set up, too. It will probably be 30 minutes or more from the time I leave my house until serving. Could I use a crockpot and plug it in once I arrive?

If nothing else, bring a strainer, put them in a strainer and run hot tap water from the faucet over them. Otherwise, the noodles will be cold under hot sauce. BTDT. So NOT cool, even for teens who WILL make a remark about it. (They will eat it cold though.)

What if you ask the other person to make a COLD pasta salad? Does the dish have to be hot spaghetti?

 

[Cantw8]

just have it at your house

 

[NotUrsula]

Set up a steam table with some sterno. You can rent the chafer frames and pans, or buy a basic one. Then pre-cook the noodles about 80%, oil them a bit before transport, and then put them on the steam table in a perforated-bottom pan with the lid closed; they will cook the rest of the way in there while you get everything else set up.

A basic portable steam table is about $40 somewhere like Sam's Club; it would probably be a good idea to invest in a couple for your group if the school cafeteria doesn't have any that you could borrow; at very least they should be willing to let you borrow a couple of steel liner pans.

 

[ugadog99]

Thanks, everyone. Since we have such a small group this time (spring musical production week we feed 100 or more for 5 days!!), I'm going with the crockpot. Normally, the school allows us to utilize the cafeteria to at least feed the kids (never to use the actual kitchen, though). However, this summer is seeing major renovations, so the school is a disaster. I may be serving in the auditorium lobby or the stage!!

For the future, I'll keep the warming pans and sterno things in mind. Last year during the musical we invested in a very large cooler that would keep things hot. The food was transported in those aluminum pans with lids. We put layers of cardboard between the stacks of pans. The food stayed blistering hot. Since it's only 8 people this time, I'm not hauling out the cooler. I figure semi hot spaghetti to a group of high school kids is just fine.

 

[dimimi]

I think you have great ideas so far. I would try to get the use of a microwave and make sure the sauce is really hot....this will make the noodles taste a bit warmer.

 

[dngnb8]

Weird subject, I know. I am helping feed a group of about 10 people tomorrow. One person is in charge of the sauce, one is doing salad, and I'm doing the spaghetti noodles, garlic bread, and brownies. So, how do you suggest I transport the noodles? I need to keep them hot. It's for a group of teenaged kids, so having the spaghetti perfectly al dente isn't a huge concern!

Since youre not saucing the noodles before transport, make sure you toss them in olive oil to prevent sticking. This will also prevent the sauce from sticking as well, but you dont want a starch ball either

Put the noodles in a zip lock bag, and transport in a styrofoam cooler. Coolers keep things warm too.