Pasta bar ideas for a party, built from baked trays
A pasta bar for about 40 guests built from three baked pasta trays, two salads and garlic bread comes to $367.98, about $9.20 a guest before tax.
By the Upper Crust Catering kitchen
For a pasta bar, we send baked pasta in trays that you set out on chafing dishes. Three pastas, two salads and garlic bread feed about 40 guests for $367.98 before tax, about $9.20 a guest. We do not run a station where a cook tosses pasta to order, so the bar is a choice of baked dishes, not a made-to-order line. Call (630) 553-9533.
What a baked pasta bar looks like
Guests pick from two or three pastas, add salad and bread, and go back for more of what they liked. Because everything is baked, it holds well on a chafing dish for a couple of hours.
Pick one of each:
- A meat pasta: Baked Mostaccioli, $45 or $75.
- A meatless pasta: Meatless Mostaccioli, $39 or $65, vegetarian.
- A layered dish: Baked Lasagna, $50 or $90, or Vegetarian Baked Lasagna, $40 or $70.
Each comes in two sizes. The larger is the party size, and the trays menu lists each tray as serving 20. We confirm the count with you when you order.
A pasta bar for 40
We plan about 40 guests for three pasta trays when salad and bread sit alongside, because each person takes a little of two dishes. That is a planning guide, not a rule. Tell us your guests and we will adjust.
- Baked Mostaccioli, larger tray: $75.
- Meatless Mostaccioli, larger tray: $65.
- Baked Lasagna, larger tray: $90.
- Classic Caesar Salad, $49.
- Tossed Mixed Greens, $49.
- 2 trays Garlic Bread, $19.99 each: $39.98.
Total $367.98, about $9.20 a guest. With 9.25% sales tax it is $402.02. Three hot pastas want three Chafing Dish Sets at $17 each, $51.
If you want it on a buffet
Buffets start at 20 guests. Buffet Menu 1 is $18.99 a person for two entrées, three sides and bread. Pasta entrées include Baked Mostaccioli, Chicken Alfredo with Bow Tie Pasta, Baked Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Three Cheese Stuffed Shells with Marinara and Garden Vegetable Primavera. That route costs more per guest but includes the bread and sides in one price.
Set up the bar so it moves
- Put the plates first and the bread last.
- Set the meatless pasta at the front of the table with a small label, so vegetarians do not guess.
- Put salad before the pasta. Guests who start with salad take less pasta, which helps the trays last.
- Keep a spoon in every dish. Serving Tongs & Spoons are $1 each.
- Plates, Napkins & Silverware are $1.50 a person.
For a larger menu around the pasta, see Italian catering. All our prices are on the entrées and sides by the tray menu, and the Italian catering page lists the occasions we cater. Ask for a written quote once you have a headcount.
Questions
How much pasta do I need per person?
We plan about one tray for 20 guests, with the party-size tray. If you offer three pastas and a salad, three trays cover about 40.
Can I order a made-to-order pasta station?
No. We bake pasta in trays and deliver or hand it over for pick-up. If you need staff on site to serve, ask about an On-site Server at $35 an hour for staffed events, which need 14 days' notice.
What vegetarian pastas do you have?
Meatless Mostaccioli, Vegetarian Baked Lasagna, Spinach Lasagna and Three Cheese Stuffed Shells with Marinara are marked vegetarian.
How far ahead do I order?
About three days for a standard order. Delivery is quoted when you order, or pick up in Yorkville.
Italian catering: mostaccioli, lasagna, piccata and Italian beef
