For members of the Italian American Club of the CSRA, preparing for the annual Pasta Festival begins long before the first plate of spaghetti reaches the table.
The day before the festival, a small group of longtime members gathers to make the club’s signature sauce from a specific recipe passed down through the organization. They spend five or six hours preparing it and, in some years, have made as much as 50 gallons.
Now, younger members are beginning to join them in the kitchen.
“If you’re going to pass it on, you have to have people to pass it on to,” club co-president DeVona Eastman said.
That idea — preserving traditions by sharing them — will be at the heart of the Italian American Club of the CSRA’s 42nd annual Pasta Festival on Friday, Oct. 9, at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, 811 Telfair St. in downtown Augusta.
Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for takeout only. Dinner will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with both dine-in and takeout available. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance from club members or at the door. Cash and credit cards will be accepted.
Each plate includes spaghetti with meatballs or sausage, salad and a roll. Members will also ...