Why You Should Think Ahead And Freeze Cooked Pasta

Unless you're freakishly good at estimating how much pasta to cook, you probably end up with a decent amount of leftovers. At the end of the meal, you can scoop that leftover spaghetti into a container and pop it in the fridge like normal. Or, if you're looking to make that pasta last longer than a few days, you can put it in the freezer for six whole months. Considering how long cooked pasta can last in the freezer and how much time it can save you with meal prep, planning to freeze it ahead of time is a smart move for any home chef.

From fettuccine alfredo (with a properly thick sauce) to pasta salad, from minestrone to ground beef casserole, there's no shortage of ways to cook with noodles. It makes sense then to cook and freeze your pasta in bulk, especially if you're the kind of chef who cooks with it on the regular. Imagine how much time you'd save if you didn't have to wait for the water to boil, and then wait again for the pasta to cook. By freezing already-cooked pasta, all you'd have to do is throw the noodles in the fridge the night before to let them thaw out or pop them in the microwave as you prepare the other ingredients of the dish. In just one evening of preparation, you can freeze enough cooked pasta to last you up to six months, making future meals quick and easy.

After boiling and straining your pasta of choice, make sure it cools completely. This'll be easy if you're using a portion of the pasta in a dish right away and saving the bulk for the freezer. But if not, let the cooked noodles dry and cool for  30 minutes to 1 hour and add a splash of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. There are two methods to freeze the pasta once it's cooled. The first way involves sizing out portions into sealable plastic freezer bags and the second way involves flash-freezing your noodles on a baking sheet in the freezer for an hour before transferring the pasta into those same sealable plastic bags.

Some kinds of pasta are better than others for freezing, but in reality, even uncooked pasta can be frozen for up to six months. Durable, small pasta shapes like ditalini, farfalle, and rigatoni (the best pasta shape, period) hold up well for freezing and thawing. Even pasta like spaghetti or angel hair can be frozen, though they might be a little more difficult to thaw. Ultimately, planning to freeze your pasta can not only help you save time in the meal prep process but also provide the convenience of ready-to-go pasta at your fingertips for the next several months. Because who doesn't love a meal that's both convenient and delicious?