How many pounds of pasta with meat sauce to make for 100 people?

It's impossible to give an exact amount of pasta and meat sauce for 100 people without knowing a few things:

* Appetite: Are these big eaters or light eaters?

* Other food: Is this the main course or part of a larger buffet?

* Portion size: Will you be serving small or large portions?

Here's a general guideline:

* Pasta: Plan for 1 pound of dried pasta per 10-12 people. This translates to roughly 8-10 pounds of pasta for 100 people.

* Meat Sauce: A good rule of thumb is to make enough sauce to cover the pasta by about 1/2 inch. This will depend on the consistency of your sauce. You can expect to use around 1 gallon of sauce for 100 people.

Tips:

* Better to have too much than too little: It's always better to have leftovers than to run out.

* Consider the shape of the pasta: Long pasta like spaghetti requires more sauce than short pasta like penne.

* Factor in the weight of the cooked pasta: Dried pasta expands significantly when cooked.

It's best to err on the side of caution and overestimate your needs. You can always freeze leftover pasta and sauce for later.