The last thing you need when the kitchen gets busy is more work on your hands. When orders come in, elaborate and complicated meals only add to the hectic atmosphere and stressful workloads. The good news is that there are plenty of dishes that can be prepared in a few simple steps without compromising quality.
Among them are several traditional pasta recipes. The right set of pre-made sauces and pasta varieties that only take a couple of minutes to prepare give restaurant owners a fantastic opportunity to make life in the kitchen easier.
Join us as we uncover the best ways to prepare and adapt traditional Italian pasta recipes for busy kitchens. With these 6 simple hacks and ingredient suggestions, your establishment will save time and make those busy evenings run smoothly and hassle-free.
Reduce Prep Time with High-Quality Pre-made Pasta
In busy restaurants, time is everything. Wasting it is not an option while saving it is imperative. When there are orders flying in, it is simply not always feasible to have all forms of pasta prepared from scratch.
In such situations, a high-quality, premade pasta, such as 3 Formaggi Tortellini, is a game-changer. The preparation has already been done, meaning less work and more time for kitchen staff. All that’s required is to add the pasta to boiling water for six to eight minutes. Then, with the addition of a fresh sauce, the key ingredients of the recipe are already in place.
A similar pasta type that has an extra level of vibrancy is our 3 Formaggi Rainbow Tortellini. It’s just as quick to prepare and consists of largely similar flavours, only with different coloured pasta coatings, which help to create attractive dishes, particularly when paired with sauces and other vibrant ingredients.
This Cheese Tortellini in Rosé Sauce is elegant, highly satisfying, and unique, particularly because it swaps out the more typical marinara sauce for one that’s more distinct, rosé sauce. Then there are mushrooms, onions, eggplant, and zucchini in the mix.
Prepare pasta in batches
Thinking ahead is essential when it comes to ensuring busy evenings run smoothly. For traditional Italian meals, you can prepare pasta in large batches and save yourself from having to do so later. Cheese Cappelletti is one of the various options for doing so.
If you need to reheat them later, this can be done simply by putting them back into boiling water for a few seconds. Be sure, however, not to overboil the pasta, which could turn it excessively soft and weaken its quality.
Control Portions
It’s important to know in advance exactly how many dishes you can create from one batch of pasta. Once the batch is cooked, you can divide it into this number immediately, keeping each portion in its own separate container, ready to the recipe required.
Controlling portions is particularly easy when it comes to cooking cannelloni dishes. Take, for example, Beef Cannelloni. The meat is wrapped in cylindrical sheets of pasta, and a serving for one person usually consists of just two of these cylinders, accompanied by other ingredients.
Other cannelloni varieties can be prepared and portioned in the same way, such as Cheese Cannelloni and Spinach and Cheese Cannelloni. These two also provide an opportunity for vegetarian options.
This Chicken and Prosciutto Cannelloni with Mushroom Alfredo Sauce recipe demonstrates how well the use of Alfredo sauce can enhance the pasta and filler ingredients. The different uses of Alfredo sauce mean a wide range of menu options for restaurants.
Maintain Quality in a Fast-Paced Environment
You can maintain high quality without making pasta from scratch by using Olivieri® Foodservice varieties. Cheese Ravioli is one of the many varieties you can keep in the kitchen and use as part of a hearty and satisfying recipe that cooks in minutes.
Simply add one of our fresh sauces to the dish once cooked, and garnish with the ingredients of your choice, from Parmesan cheese to mixed herbs and more. The versatility of ravioli allows for various creative recipes, such as this Braised Beef au jus Ravioli, Mushrooms, Maple Syrup and Québec Cheese Curds.
Keep Customer Tastes in Mind
When pondering ways to save time and run an efficient operation, it’s essential not to forget the importance of your customers and their needs. Aside from being served within an acceptable time frame, what they also want is a high-quality meal that meets their dietary preferences.
This means vegetarian options, vegan-friendly meals, and recipes that are gluten-free. With a little planning in advance, traditional pasta recipes can meet the needs of all. With Olivieri® Foodservice, you’ll find Vegetarian Recipes for Restaurants in abundance.
For more meal ideas and kitchen tips, drop by and find the inspiration you’re looking for.
