Why is Italian catering so popular?
Few food options are as crowd-pleasing as Italian favorites. From fun, casual options, such as pizza and pasta, to more sophisticated cuisine, Italian dining is creative, flexible, and delicious — perfect for almost any occasion. When you choose Italian catering, you can be sure all the events your office hosts will be winners.
Bring a taste of Italy into your office with Italian catering options
When you want to pick a cuisine you can be sure will win over everyone, including the pickiest eaters and those with notable dietary restrictions, Italian catering is an excellent choice.
Italian food is extremely versatile, making it a good fit for events of all kinds and virtually every diet under the sun. It can be both casual dishes, such as pizza, perfectly suited for more relaxed office events, and sophisticated pasta and seafood dishes for more formal gatherings.
In addition, many Italian dishes can be made in bulk, which means it's often one of the most affordable options if you're hosting workplace events, such as parties, conferences, or conventions, on a budget.
How much Italian food should I order?
While most people think of Italian food as pasta and little else, there are plenty of foods that fall under the Italian umbrella. As such, it's important to carefully plan how much food to order based on what you plan to serve and how many people you'll have at your function.
In general, 1 cup of pasta — cooked and with sauce — is a good serving for one person. This is enough to be filling while still leaving room for salads, appetizers, and desserts. This means if you're ordering for 10 people, you should get enough pasta for every person to have at least 1 cup, which is usually around one serving tray. For bigger head counts, assume at least one tray per 10 diners. If you're getting multiple kinds of pasta, consider getting enough for each diner to have one serving of each or to at least allow for adequate availability should one variety be more popular than others.
If ordering salad, vegetables, or appetizers, such as meatballs or arancini, make sure there's enough food available for each person to have one to two appetizer items, a serving of veggies, and a cup of salad.
What are some classic Italian dishes and sides?
While pasta is the best-known Italian dining option, there are so many other dishes that could be a part of a great Italian meal.
Take appetizers, for example: you could serve classics, such as caprese or Caesar salad, an antipasto platter, a cheese plate, or minestrone soup. As a main dish, you could consider eggplant Parmesan, chicken marsala, chicken Parmesan, osso bucco, or even filleted fish. To top it off, pick a classic Italian dessert, such as tiramisu or cannolis. Pizza is always a favorite, and it's perfect for more casual events, such as a team lunch or game day party. Don't forget the breadsticks and garlic knots.
How should I serve Italian catering?
The beauty of Italian catering is the flexibility. There are so many ways to order and eat that in most cases, the overall atmosphere and serving style will be up to the event organizer. Italian food can be laid out buffet-style, spread across tables for family-style dining, or pre-portioned into ready-to-serve plates. No matter what works best for your event, Italian food can be a great fit.
How much pasta do Italians eat?
Italians are well known for their love of pasta, which is understandable because pasta is filling, fast, and delicious. Many Italians eat pasta every single day, usually for lunch, dinner, or both. Further, the average Italian eats over 50 pounds of pasta a year. That's a lot of pasta.
However, those living in Italy often approach pasta in a healthy way. Rather than eating plates full of noodles for every meal, they tend to keep portions much smaller than Americans may be used to: just 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces, per person per meal. In fact, in traditional Italian dining, pasta is just one dish in a multicourse meal comprised of antipasto, or the appetizer course; primo, the first course, which often involves pasta; secondo, the second course, which is usually meat or fish; and contorno, a light side course of vegetables or salad.
