Making pasta sauce is something we prefer to do in large portions. Too large portions even. Because we want to serve more than enough, of course, but also because we like to save some of a good sauce to enjoy again later. And that’s possible. Freezing pasta is perfectly possible, although there are a few points to bear in mind.
Can you freeze pasta?
To put it bluntly: you can freeze all your food. So yes: pasta can also be kept in the freezer. But let’s make a clear distinction between pasta as a type of dough and the pasta sauce.
Starting with the sauce: it’s great for storing in the freezer and reheating later. Tomato sauce, a creamy sauce like carbonara, pesto; it’s all possible.
Freezing pasta sauce gives you the easiest and tastiest ready-made meals – homemade and healthy – available. You can keep frozen pasta sauce for about three months (a bit depending on the ingredients) and it reheats in no time.
Freezing cooked pasta
Cooking pasta is not a big deal. You don’t have to be a hero in the kitchen to do that. Plenty of water, a little salt and a little taste now and then, that’s all it takes (if you want a more detailed guide, check out our blog Cooking pasta like this).
So it’s actually just as quick to just keep pasta sauce in the freezer and cook the pasta fresh. But if you still want to freeze your macaroni or freeze your already cooked spaghetti, you can.
For freezing cooked pasta, keep in mind not to overcook the pasta. Remove the pasta from the hot water preferably before al dente. Then it will be al dente when you reheat it later.
If you cook it too soft, it will become a sticky mass. Let the cooked pasta cool to room temperature (so it dries well) and then freeze it. Tip: do this in separate portions, so you can easily reheat for one or two people later.
And another tip after letting the frozen pasta thaw: warm it up eventually along with the sauce. But this applies to pasta preparation in general. After all, this allows the pasta to fully absorb the sauce.
Freezing fresh pasta
You can also freeze fresh, homemade pasta. However, the shelf life is somewhat shorter, especially if you want to freeze the ‘raw’ dough. You can keep fresh pasta in the fridge for two or three days, in the freezer for about a month.
It is recommended to cook the fresh pasta before freezing it; then it stays tastier and more manageable.
Freezing pasta salad
Can you freeze pasta salad? That’s one last question that remains, but it’s not so easy to answer. It actually depends entirely on what’s in it. In general we would say: keep the pasta salad in the fridge and eat it for lunch or dinner the next day. Tasty and healthy!
Vegetables and dressings form a sticky mess after storing for too long. We do not recommend a pasta salad from the freezer.