FIRST...YOU MAKE-AH DA MEATBALL! 
The gargantuan task of preparing a homemade spaghetti dinner for almost 2,000 people starts two weeks before the annual dinner is held.  That's when the Ladies Altar Society begins the arduous task of making 3,500+ meatballs - and all in one day!
The gargantuan task of preparing a homemade spaghetti dinner for almost 2,000 people starts two weeks before the annual dinner is held. That's when the Ladies Altar Society begins the arduous task of making 3,500+ meatballs - and all in one day!
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Janie Sampolesi shapes her share of the 3,500 meatballs.
Janie Sampolesi shapes her share of the 3,500 meatballs.
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Rosemary Reginelli's capable hands work at warp speed - and have made tens of thousands of meatballs over the course of 40 years in the Altar Society.
Rosemary Reginelli's capable hands work at warp speed - and have made tens of thousands of meatballs over the course of 40 years in the Altar Society.
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Hundreds of perfectly shaped meatballs await the deep fryers.
Hundreds of perfectly shaped meatballs await the deep fryers.
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Patty Zieman (foreground) and Anita P. Norcross are in charge of the deep fryers and are experts at knowing exactly when the meatballs are perfectly done.
Patty Zieman (foreground) and Anita P. Norcross are in charge of the deep fryers and are experts at knowing exactly when the meatballs are perfectly done.
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It only takes about 8 minutes for the meatballs to cook, around 90 at a time.
It only takes about 8 minutes for the meatballs to cook, around 90 at a time.
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Golden brown, moist and divinely delicious, the next step is allowing the meatballs to cool completely.
Golden brown, moist and divinely delicious, the next step is allowing the meatballs to cool completely.
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The meatballs are then stored in hundreds of air tight containers and frozen until the day before the dinner.
The meatballs are then stored in hundreds of air tight containers and frozen until the day before the dinner.
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Next up - making the dough for the homemade pasta!  Over 150 dozen eggs (that's 1,800 eggs!!)...
Next up - making the dough for the homemade pasta! Over 150 dozen eggs (that's 1,800 eggs!!)...
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...and almost 250 pounds of flour are used to make the pasta dough!
...and almost 250 pounds of flour are used to make the pasta dough!
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To make perfect pasta, Cecelia Jasey first kneads the dough - a small amount at a time - over and over until it's smooth and elastic.
To make perfect pasta, Cecelia Jasey first kneads the dough - a small amount at a time - over and over until it's smooth and elastic.
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Then Gino Olivi, Bob Mazzanti and other volunteers roll and press the dough into long, paper thin sheets.
Then Gino Olivi, Bob Mazzanti and other volunteers roll and press the dough into long, paper thin sheets.
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Betty Rossini and Bea Mazzanti lay out the pasta and allow it to dry briefly.
Betty Rossini and Bea Mazzanti lay out the pasta and allow it to dry briefly.
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Then Ida Rossini gathers the delicate sheets, never once letting them tear.  Amazing!
Then Ida Rossini gathers the delicate sheets, never once letting them tear. Amazing!
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More volunteers put the thin sheets through cutters and viola, spaghetti!
More volunteers put the thin sheets through cutters and viola, spaghetti!
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The spaghetti then dries overnight on dozens of cloth-covered tables.
The spaghetti then dries overnight on dozens of cloth-covered tables.
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