There are few worse choices for holding than white meat chicken and plain pasta. Heck, most people overcook white meat to begin with. In any case, reheated dark meat cannot be held for long, and reheated white meat can barely be held at all. Your best bet, is to hold the chicken well covered in a Cres-cor or a cooler prepped for holding hot. Next best, is to transport the chicken in covered hotel or disposable pans and simply hold them at room temperature. In either case, add to the chafers as needed. Finally, if the chicken must be served "hot," and you don't have hot-transport equipment, reheat only to the lowest serving temperature you can get away with (just above room temp, say 110 degF, and then only as needed). It's suicide to try and hold chicken in the oven. Unless, that is, you're catering a party for people who find the slogan, "Now with extra stick-to-your-teeth goodness" appetizing.
It's embarrassing to admit it, but the best results I've had reheating chicken have been with the microwave, at reduced power, with several warming and resting cycles.
Pasta should seldom be served plain -- even if plated with sauce on top. Saucing is usually the last part of the cooking process -- both for the sauce and the pasta. Assuming you cannot talk your client into allowing you to cook the noodles on site; or to allow you to at least lightly sauce the pasta before transport, there is no good way. You'll have to choose from a very narrow range of bad options. Not good, but best is to oil very generously with extra virgin olive oil immediately after cooking, and reheat in the microwave. If you must hold in a hotel or disposable pan, you're pretty much screwed. Not to put too fine a point on it.
I don't know the client, and whether or not it's possible to tell her, even very diplomatically, that her choices are not good, or talk her into better ones. You simply cannot guarantee success with hers.
Lots of luck,
BDL
