How to Dry Pasta

Drying your fresh homemade pasta is the perfect way to preserve it for later use. Whether you plan to eat it today, a few days from now or even several weeks down the road, properly drying your pasta will avoid a sticky pasta disaster come dinner time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freshly prepared, cut pasta
• Drying surface such as a drying rack, tea towel, wax paper or plate
• Zip-top storage bags

Drying for Short-term or Freezer Storage

1. Place your cut pasta on a non-stick surface. Small, rolled pastas can easily fit on a plate while longer pastas like linguine or lasagna noodles should be hung on a drying rack, or placed on a tea towel or piece of wax paper.

2. Allow your pasta to dry for one hour. Test the dryness of your pasta to ensure that it's about as dry as the pasta you'd purchase in the refrigerated case at your local grocery store.

3. Place the dried pasta in a zip-top bag and store in your refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerated fresh pasta will last up to three days while frozen fresh pasta should be consumed within three months.

Drying for Long Term Storage

4. Place your cut pasta on a non-stick surface. Small, rolled pastas can easily fit on a plate while longer pastas like linguine or lasagna noodles should be hung on a drying rack, or placed on a tea towel or piece of wax paper.

5. Allow your pasta to dry for at least 24 hours. Test the dryness of your pasta to ensure that completely dry.

6. Place the dried pasta in a zip top bag and store in your pantry.

Tips & Warnings

• Long pastas can also be gently wrapped into nest-shaped clusters for drying and storage.

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[winegalcj]

on 3/6/2009 Tip: if you don't have a dedicated drying rack - open your oven and use the racks!