Bachelorette Dinner Cooking Party

I love the pizza idea, but would like to second someone's pasta making idea. There are a bunch of separate steps in something like a homemade ravioli that gives everyone a task (making dough, rolling pasta, filling ravioli, making sauce, etc). Pour some wine and set up a antipasto board to munch on as you work.

Sushi making is fun; books and kits are available, and it is a pretty short learning curve, provided no one is worried about perfection. For a party without a spoilsport pouting about "true, real, suhi", the ingredients are nearly limitless. I attended one event where one ingred on offer was citrus segments- surprising and tasty. Rolling matts, chop sticks, little dip bowls are avail at Asian markets inexpensively, and could be used as party favors. Now I'M in the mood for a sushi party...

A vegetarian version of this Giada recipe could work very well! It was fun to roll this one up with my friends for Christmas last year. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lasagna-rolls-recipe.html

Another idea would be to make wontons or ravioli. If you have a deep fryer, you can even make toasted raviolis ~ get some thawed out raviolis/fresh homemade ones, dip in buttermilk, then dip in Progresso Italian bread crumbs, and fry for a minute or two per side, until golden brown and serve with a good marinara sauce (I like Rao's).

Once a year we used to make potstickers/Chinese dumplings for Chinese New Year and we would provide the wrappers and fillings and let everyone make their own. I would have multiple pots of boiling water or if you have bamboo steamers, you can cook a bunch at a time. Freeze any uncooked dumplings individually before bagging. It was a lot of fun

How about risottos? Two of them side by side with everyone taking turns.

Private cooking schools or cookware stores that hold classes may be willing to rent their space and/or a teacher to organize the event. This would give you multiple work stations, no clean up, and lots of menu choices.

Making customized pizzas. Have your dough ready, and tomato sauce, and have your party goers prep other toppings and then build pizza combinations to share. Grating cheeses, slicing olives, making an easy pesto - create a list of toppings and let guests go to town.

As a culinary educator and a wedding planner, I've had my hand in more than a few events similar to what you have in mind. One of the most important factors you need to consider is the space you have available for everyone to work tegether. Once you have that settled, there are any number of things that are fun to do together... Making pasta is one of those. It's easy to do, and you can make any kind of sauce(s) you want to top it.

I'd say things like pasta sauce or chili. Things that aren't too particular about when each ingredient is added and which can easily be simmered for longer or shorter while other parts are being cooked. Alternatively perhaps some tapas-style dishes so each person can take one dish each?