Skate Wings 8238aem I'm sure there are pasta bending joints that prepare pasta in advance but not many (never ate at Olive...
OmManiPadmeOmelet
I can't imagine. I've never met anyone who could tell, in all those years of doing it.
Our technique (and pretty much everybody else's) was to partially cook the pasta, drain and immediately toss with olive oil. We poured it into big, metal hotel pans to cool and then portioned it (12 ounces by weight) into cheapo plastic bags to hold, then into the fridge. Each shape of pasta had its own cook time: spaghetti for 6 minutes, ziti for 8 minutes, egg papardelle for 5 minutes, etc. When it came time to "rethermalize" (heh) the pasta, it went into boiling water for about 1 1-2 minutes. It reached full boiled temperature, and we could even do any of the egg or custard sauces that depended on full heat from the pasta to cook the egg (carbonara being the most well-known). Our pasta dishes were very popular, both at lunch and dinner. Typical days in my last restaurant ranged from a low of around 100 portions up to maybe 350 - as high as 500 on busy days. More for banquets - could go up to 750 some days, especially around the holidays.
Try it one time with a light coating of vinaigrette while it's still warm. It'll disappear into the pasta. Then after it's cooled, add just a little mayo. The flavor sparkles.
Pastorio
