HOSTED | By Ink – Italian Dinner Party Edition
So, you’re hosting. You want the food to be delicious, the drinks flowing, and the vibe chef’s kiss - but you also want to enjoy the night, not spend it chained to the kitchen.
This menu is built for that. It’s all about seasonal flavour, easy prep, and big family-style energy. Serve the food with flair, keep the Negronis on ice, and let the night unfold.
To Drink
You don’t want to be pouring drinks while you’re plating pasta. Set up a self-serve drinks station with a printed menu and everything guests need
On the menu, batched Negronis served on ice with orange twists - keep the cocktail in a bucket of ice and let guests help themselves.
Since you have the gin, you may as well offer Ink Gin & Tonics. Put tonic on ice, and a small plate of rosemary sprigs ready to garnish with a sign saying “Top yourself up”.
Sides First
Set the table with bread, whipped or salted butter, and both salads. Make these well ahead of time and refrigerate. Have them ready to place on the table just before you start cooking the pasta water - these can sit beautifully on the table, ready to scoop onto plates as the pastas roll out.
Crusty Bread + Salted Butter
Get some good bread from the bakery and serve with softened salted butter or olive oil + balsamic.
Checkerboard Salad
This marinated fetta and cucumber salad is a showstopper. Get the full recipe here.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Layer slices of red, yellow and orange heirloom tomatoes on a large platter. In a bowl make a quick marinade to pour over the top: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced Red Onion, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. This is the recipe we used. You want this to sit in the fridge for a good few hours to marinate.
Optional: Add a spoonful of burrata or stracciatella if you’re feeling extra.
To Plate & Serve Hot
If you follow this plan, you'll only have to cook the pasta and the burnt butter sauce during the evening - everything else would be done in advance.
Once everyone’s ready, bring out the pastas. Serve both family-style on the table or plate them up in rounds - whichever suits your vibe.
Burnt Butter & Sage Pasta
Based on this 10-minute wonder from The Burnt Butter Table, this dish is buttery, nutty and beautifully simple.
How to make:
– Melt butter in a pan until golden and fragrant
– Add fresh sage leaves and fry until crisp
– Toss with al dente pasta (fresh is best) andfinish with cracked pepper and parmesan
– Serve immediately, hot and glossy
Slow-Cooked Bolognese Ragu
Make this up to 2 days before - it only gets better. Of course we used Queen Nagi's recipe for this and it was elite.
To serve:
– Toss through fresh pasta
– Top with grated parmesan and cracked pepper
– Pour yourself a G&T and sit down already
Fresh pasta bonus round:
Make your own if you’re game - or turn it into a group activity. Just pre-make most of the pasta ahead of time, and let guests shape one type (like orecchiette or pappardelle) as a fun ice-breaker. That way it’s interactive, not a disaster, and doesn't take too long.
Hosting Flow
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Before guests arrive: Set out bread, salads and drinks station. Set the table. Keep pasta water hot and ragu warming gently.
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When guests arrive: Pour Negronis, mingle, nibble. Let people snack and chat while you do the pasta final touches.
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Dinner: Plate or serve pastas. Keep salads and bread on the table to graze.
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After: Sit back, sip something icy, and bask in the compliments.
This is dinner party hosting done right:
Beautiful food, great drinks, and enough breathing room to actually enjoy your own party.
