Don't forget to boil the noodles! Remember that you can boil noodles in less water than some recipes recommend. You could probably easily use an 8 qt pot just as well!

In 12 qt pot half full of water with 1-2 T salt added. Bring to a boil then add 2 lb pasta. Taste to see when it is firm but done. Drain. You can leave the bottom starchy part of the cooking water if you are serving them right away. This helps your sauce stick to the noodles. But don't leave too much or you will water down your sauce.

If you are wanting to hold the noodles then drain completely and maybe even rinse them with water. This will keep them from sticking together as they cool. If they are cold when you want them you can run hot tap water over them in a sieve. Then using hot sauce, they will be just right.

*Brown rice noodles have a strange texture when cooled and rewarmed. Wheat noodles are much more reliable.

*Note on canned tomatoes - Whole tomatoes packed in their own juice have better flavor than diced tomatoes because the tomatoes are processed riper. The tomatoes that are diced would have to be firm enough to be diced then processed. So when you are going to reduce them and cook them a long time whole tomatoes are the better choice.

~If preparing for the church meal, cook noodles and lightly drain. Make sure sauce is very hot! Then stir noodles into sauce just minutes before serving. This method requires fewer noodles than serving them atop noodles. But serving atop noodles takes a large place on a potluck plate. So I think mixing together is better for a potluck.

~In large brazier pan on stovetop, saute or
~In large hotel pan In the oven at convection roast 450* roast (lid off):

2 lb ground beef or ground pork - previously salted with 1 t salt
several onions with about 1 t salt

Roast (about 30 min) or saute briefly just until the beef is losing its pink.

Add:
Basil and Italian seasonings
fresh garlic
-2 #10 cans whole tomatoes in juice
OR
6 qts my home prepared tomatoes
OR
4 qts raw tomatoes from my freezer

Roast (1 hour) or simmer until juices are reducing.

~Continue to roast until it is thickened to sit atop a beautiful pile of noodles without making a puddle of liquid.

~OR if you don't want to roast so long, plan to mix the noodles into the sauce just before serving. Or stir together lightly in the individual serving bowls. Either way the noodles will likely absorb the thinner liquid.

You can hold the sauce in the oven, covered, at 170* until dinner.

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