How to plan pasta catering for a team: portions, choices and budget

Ordering food for a group is easy to get wrong: too little and people go hungry, too many dishes and everyone gets a spoonful of each. Our catering menu, Big Batch by Fat Lulu's Pasta, is designed so the portions work out for you. Here's how to plan it, step by step.

Step 1: Confirm your headcount

Everything starts with the number of people. Our packages are built around group sizes in steps of five:

• Office packages: teams of 5, 10, 15 or 20.
• Party packages: 5 to 50 guests, in steps of 5.
• Trays: servings for 5, 10, 15 or 20.

If your number sits between sizes, mention it in your inquiry and we'll help you choose.

Step 2: Choose office or party

Both include dinner plates, disposable cutlery, napkins and serving utensils.

Step 3: Decide how many different dishes

Bigger groups can choose more variety. This is the number of different dishes you pick — it doesn't change the amount of food.

Office packages

• 5 people: 1 pasta, 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 1 dessert
• 10 people: 2 pastas, 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 1 dessert
• 15 people: 3 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 desserts
• 20 people: 4 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 3 desserts

Party packages

• 5 guests: 1 pasta, 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 1 dessert
• 10 guests: 2 pastas, 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 2 desserts
• 15 guests: 3 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 3 desserts
• 20–50 guests: up to 4 pastas, 3 appetizers, 3 salads, all 3 desserts

For party packages, the appetizer choices are cheese balls, mac & cheese bites or chicken tenders, and dessert selections come in groups of five.

Step 4: Know the portions per guest

This is the part most people worry about, so here's exactly what each person gets:

• Office package: one pasta portion, one side salad and one dessert, plus an appetizer allowance of 2 bread pieces, 3 cheese balls or mac & cheese bites, or 2 tenders.
• Party package: one pasta portion, 2 garlic bread pieces, 3 appetizer bites or 2 tenders, one side salad and one dessert.

Food is divided across your choices, not multiplied by the number of dishes. So if a 20-person team picks four pastas, you still get 20 pasta portions — just spread across four flavours.

Step 5: Pick a mix that works for everyone

With several pasta choices, it helps to cover different tastes. Our classic pastas range from tomato-based (Penne Arrabbiata — tomato, garlic and chilli) and creamy (Fettuccine Alfredo, Penne Mama Rosa, Creamy Pesto Fettuccine) to hearty (Beef Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara) and simple olive-oil-based (Aglio Olio e Peperoncino). Add a salad or two — Caesar, House Garden, Caprese, Greek, Lemon Herb Slaw or Italian Pasta Salad — and you've got a balanced spread.

Dietary needs? Please ask us before ordering so we can talk through ingredients.

Step 6: Add upgrades (optional)

• Switch a pasta selection to Prawn Spaghetti AOP: +$6 per portion.
• Switch a pasta selection to Velvet Lobster Penne: +$10 per portion.
• Add chicken +$5, shrimp +$6 or lobster +$10 per pasta portion.

Step 7: Estimate your budget

Packages are simple: price per person × guests, then HST and delivery/platform fees on top. A few real examples from our menu:

• Office team of 15: $360
• Office team of 20: $480
• Party of 30: $780
• Party of 50: $1,300

Prefer to build it yourself? Trays are priced as group totals — for example, Beef Bolognese is $70 for 5 or $280 for 20, and a Caesar Salad is $20 for 5 or $80 for 20. All prices are in CAD and are our proposed launch prices for October 2026.

Step 8: Send your inquiry

When you're ready, fill in our catering inquiry form with your name, company, email, phone, date, serving time, number of guests, package, delivery or pickup, and any notes. We'll reply to confirm your menu and final quote. Questions first? Call (416) 816-8051 or email foodwoodinc@gmail.com.