Spaghetti for a Crowd

Feeding a big group doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, and this spaghetti for a crowd recipe proves it. With classic spaghetti noodles and a homemade tomato meat sauce, this spaghetti dinner delivers familiar, home-cooked flavors. Whether you’re cooking for a youth sports team, hosting a church supper, organizing a fundraiser or welcoming a house full of party guests, this large-batch recipe makes enough to feed 100, and you can easily scale it up or down to fit your event. Add a big green salad and warm breadsticks or garlic bread, and you’ve got a satisfying, crowd-pleasing dinner.

How much spaghetti do I need to feed a crowd?

Planning pasta for a large group requires a little math, but the numbers are easier to crunch than you might think. Here’s how we figured out spaghetti for 100 people.

Let’s start with the pasta. A 1-pound box of pasta contains 16 ounces, and a typical serving of spaghetti is 2 ounces of uncooked pasta per person. That means each box gives you eight servings. If you’re feeding 100 people, you’ll need about 13 pounds of pasta to make sure everyone gets a standard serving. Here’s the breakdown:

• 13 (1-pound) boxes of spaghetti x 16 ounces per box = 208 ounces of pasta
• 208 ounces of pasta ÷ 2 ounces per serving = 104 servings

For the sauce, the recipe contributor portioned it so that each guest would get about 1/2 cup of meat sauce—enough to coat a serving of pasta without being skimpy. This recipe uses 6 pounds of ground beef, which works out to just under 1 ounce of meat per person. Here’s the math:

• 6 pounds of ground beef x 16 ounces per pound = 96 ounces of beef
• 96 ounces of beef ÷ 100 servings = 0.96 ounce of beef per serving

Ground beef shrinks as it cooks, so the final cooked amount per serving is even less. It’s a lighter meat portion than a typical bowl of spaghetti, but it’s still plenty to add flavor and texture to a big batch of tomato sauce. If you prefer a meatier sauce, you can easily increase the amount of beef by a few pounds.

Ingredients for Spaghetti for a Crowd

• Ground beef: You’ll need 6 pounds of ground beef to make enough meat sauce for a crowd. I always use 85% lean beef in my spaghetti sauce for a rich flavor without lots of grease, but 90% lean also works if you want less fat. You can also replace some of the beef with Italian sausage for a zestier sauce, or try ground chicken or turkey for a lighter version.
• Onion and garlic: These aromatics build a fragrant base for the sauce. To cut down on prep time, chop the onions and mince the garlic in advance, or look for containers of chopped onions and jarred minced garlic.
• Tomato sauce and paste: Combining canned tomato sauce and tomato paste delivers the perfect consistency—not too thick or thin—and a robust, tangy flavor.
• Sugar: Dissolving a small amount of sugar in spaghetti sauce helps balance the acidic tomatoes and rounds out the flavor profile without making it taste sweet.
• Seasoning: Italian seasoning, dried basil and dried oregano bring classic, herbal notes to the dish, and salt enhances all the other flavors for a well-seasoned sauce.
• Cooked spaghetti: Thirteen 1-pound boxes of spaghetti should comfortably feed a crowd of 100. Toss the cooked pasta with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking, or substitute a short pasta shape such as penne, rotini or rigatoni for easier buffet service.

Directions

Step 1: Brown the meat and aromatics

Cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large stockpot over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened. Drain off any excess grease to keep the spaghetti sauce from becoming oily.

Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your pot, it may be easier to brown the meat in two or three batches. Browning in smaller amounts helps the meat sear instead of steam, which builds deeper flavor.

Step 2: Simmer the sauce

Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, sugar and dried herbs. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover it and let it simmer for two to three hours. Stir the sauce occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching.

Step 3: Serve spaghetti to your crowd

Spoon the hot sauce over hot, cooked spaghetti and serve it immediately.

Editor’s Tip: If serving the spaghetti buffet-style, hold the pasta and sauce in separate chafing dishes or large roasters to prevent the noodles from becoming mushy.

Recipe Variations

• Give it some kick: For spicy spaghetti sauce, add a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce for gentle heat.
• Try it with sausage: Swap half the ground beef for mild or hot Italian sausage. The sausages’ built-in seasoning is an easy way to add more savory depth without extra work.
• Add veggies to the sauce: A chunky ragu sauce is my go-to for extra flavor and texture—plus it’s an easy way to sneak veggies into kids’ meals. Simply stir several cups of diced bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and/or shredded carrots into the pot after browning the meat.
• Make it creamy: Stir in a few cups of heavy cream or half-and-half cream right before serving the pasta to create a luscious, blush-style sauce.

How to Store Spaghetti for a Crowd

If you have leftovers, be sure to cool and store the pasta and sauce separately. Storing the cooked pasta separately prevents it from absorbing the sauce and becoming mushy. Quart-sized jars or plastic food containers work well for packing up big batches.

Just make sure the food hasn’t been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours—if it has, it’s safest to discard it. Both the pasta and sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can you freeze large-batch spaghetti sauce?

Yes! Both spaghetti sauce and cooked pasta can be frozen for up to three months. Let the sauce and pasta cool in shallow pans until they reach room temperature. Divide them into meal-sized portions and transfer them to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Freeze the sauce and pasta separately so the noodles don’t turn mushy when reheated.

Can you make spaghetti for a crowd ahead of time?

Yes! You can boil the pasta and cook the meat sauce a day ahead, then reheat everything before serving. For the best texture, cook the spaghetti just shy of al dente and drain it well.

Cool the pasta and sauce in separate shallow pans, then transfer them to large, food-safe storage containers (the kind that’s available at restaurant supply stores). Keep everything refrigerated until you’re ready to reheat and serve the spaghetti.

How do you reheat spaghetti for a crowd?

If you’re reheating just a few portions, you can combine the pasta and sauce and warm them together in a saucepan over medium-low heat, or microwave individual servings until they’re hot.

For larger amounts—or if you prepared the recipe in advance—reheat the sauce in a large stockpot over gentle heat, stirring occasionally. Reheat the pasta separately by dropping it into a pot of boiling water for about two minutes, just until it’s heated through again.

Spaghetti for a Crowd Tips

How do you cook spaghetti noodles for a crowd?

To cook spaghetti noodles for a large crowd, boil the pasta in the largest pot you have, or cook it in several batches if necessary. Stir frequently as it cooks to keep the noodles from sticking, and cook them just until they’re just al dente. The pasta will continue to cook when you put it into a warmer or combine it with the sauce—and you don’t want to overcook it.

Don’t forget to generously salt the cooking water. Salt seasons the pasta from the inside out so every bite is extra flavorful.

How much spaghetti is needed to feed 50 people?

To feed 50 people, you can halve this recipe and use about 6-1/2 pounds of dry spaghetti (or just over six standard 1-pound boxes). This amount will yield about 100 ounces of pasta, which is sufficient for each person to have a standard 2-ounce serving.

How do you keep spaghetti warm for a large group of people?

Keeping food warm for a party is all about gentle, even heat. If you’re serving spaghetti for a crowd right away, you can combine the pasta and sauce in large pots over the lowest heat setting, or transfer them to separate roasters or slow cookers set to the warm function.

In a commercial kitchen, warming ovens or holding cabinets work perfectly for keeping everything hot until it’s time to serve. For buffets, it’s best to keep the pasta and sauce separate to prevent the noodles from becoming soft. Transfer each to a chafing dish to maintain their temperatures without overcooking them.

What can you serve with spaghetti for a crowd?

A big make-ahead salad with a variety of dressings is always a hit with a spaghetti dinner, and warm breadsticks or garlic bread are perfect for soaking up extra sauce. For dessert, choose a treat that’s easy to serve in large portions, like brownies or cookies.