Kitchen Nightmares
Gordon Ramsay is Shocked and Disgusted by Over 400 Servings of Pre-Cooked Pasta
While being prepared is usually a good thing, being overprepared in the kitchen can be a health hazard waiting to happen!
It’s no surprise that Mangia Mangia has fallen into chaos. The kitchen is run by young, inexperienced chefs. Mangia Mangia’s owner Julie lacks leadership abilities and can’t seem to give Gordon Ramsay any straight answers to explain how her restaurant has become so unorganized, chaotic, and occasionally quite disgusting.
On this episode of “Kitchen Nightmares,” Gordon Ramsay is astounded by Mangia Mangia’s questionable cooking practices. As dish after dish is sent back to the kitchen for one reason or another, Gordon is shocked by the kitchen staff’s apathy. Gordon points out the old spinach and how the marina sauce looks like a container of oil slick, but no one really seems to care. But what really sends Gordon into a rage is that the staff has unnecessarily pre-made 400 servings of pasta. While Julie says all the pasta that is pre-made is meant to be served on the same day, we highly doubt that actually happens. Watch the below clip to see what 400 servings of pasta looks like!
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In the words of Gordon Ramsay, “it’s pasta mania!” In a restaurant that has less than 50 customers for dinner service, there is no need to pre-make 400 servings of pasta. While the inexperienced chefs at Mangia Mangia may pre-make this insane amount of pasta due to lack of experience and training, the practice needs to stop because it’s wasteful and poses a health hazard. While dry pasta has a long shelf life, cooked pasta is only edible for 3-5 days because of the addition of moisture. Once pasta is cooked and moisture is introduced, the noodles are susceptible to mold and bacteria growth. Restaurant patrons who unknowingly consume old or expired pasta are then at an increased risk for sickness from foodborne illnesses. If nothing else, old pasta simply doesn’t taste as good. Restaurant patrons are paying for delicious food, and they deserve fresh, tasty, and safe meals.
While it’s common knowledge that restaurants do pre-cook some of their food to promote efficiency, it needs to be done in moderation so that the food is properly cooked, handled, and stored for safety and quality control purposes. While we understand this restaurant wanted to turn around meals as quickly as possible, pasta really doesn’t take that long to make. If the restaurant really did pre-cook around 20 portions of pasta a couple of times a day as Julie had guessed, that would be more reasonable. However, 400 servings of pasta per day is simply outrageous. We always suggest making pasta immediately before serving so that it’s fresh, tastes its best, and you avoid any food safety concerns.
Even though most of us aren’t professional chefs working in a restaurant, Mangia Mangia’s epic pasta failure can still serve as a reminder to take good food safety measures in our own kitchens. We’re likely going to be cooking for a lot of guests this holiday season, so it’s important we make delicious meals that can be enjoyed by all without any risk of illness. Make sure to use your best judgment when pre-making any part of your holiday meals. And if you do decide to celebrate at a restaurant during this holiday season, don’t be afraid to politely inquire about food that doesn’t taste or look fresh. Not only are you paying for your dinner and experience, but you have a right to protect yourself from foodborne illnesses. As long as you are polite and reasonable, there is no shame in reminding the restaurant that they have a responsibility to serve food that is safe to consume.
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